Justifying the Means
by Pyxelle
Summary: As Brittany and Alvin start a new life together, Simon becomes obsessed with finding a cure for Theodore - no matter how many moral lines he might have to cross. Sequel to "Neptune's Ocean"
1. Default Chapter

Hey, Everyone!

This is the sequel to "**Neptune's Ocean**." It is set 4 years after that story, right after their graduation from college.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

Hugs to all,

Pyxelle

And so….

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 1**

"How _dare_ you try to come back after what you've done?" Brittany demanded. "You're nothing but a lying, conniving, filth-eating _pig_ and I want nothing more to do with you!"

"But, honey, I swear-" Alvin's voice was desperate. Brittany didn't let him finish.

"You swear what? That you'll stop cheating on me with every two-bit slut who walks past you? I've heard it all before, _sweetheart_, and I just don't believe it anymore." Brittany turned her back on him. "I can't believe you would come crawling back again after you left me for that…that….what was her name again? Bunny?"

"Buffy." Alvin corrected, and cringed. "And, really, she didn't mean anything to me. Not like you do." He grabbed her arm, spinning her around so that she was facing him. "Isn't there anything I can do to make you forgive me?"

Brittany smiled at him sweetly. "Yes…you can drop dead and _die!"_ She pushed him away. "I'm done with you, and this time I mean it. You can't treat me like I'm just a piece of garbage that you can throw away whenever you want to."

"Sweetie, darling, you don't mean that…"

"Stop calling me those pet names! You don't have the right anymore. I've half a mind to…" She stalked towards him slowly, her fist raised as if to strike him. Alvin backed away hastily.

"Now, lets not get too angry, now…"Alvin said as he bumped up against the wall. "I promise I'll change, I will…Brittany!" She slapped him full across the face.

"_Cut!"_ The director shouted. He looked at Alvin in exasperation. "It's _Brenda_, Alvin. You have _got_ to stop using her real name. The character's name is _Brenda."_

"Sorry." Alvin apologized, rubbing his cheek. He looked at Brittany accusingly. "That really hurt, Brittany."

"Sorry, Alvin." Brittany stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Better?"

"A little." Alvin grumbled. "I know we're going for realism, but could you try to hit me a _little_ less harder?"

"I'll try." Brittany looked at him bashfully. "I guess I'm just really getting into the part."

"A little too much, if you ask me."

"Lights, can we reset the scene?" The director called. Alvin looked at the clock worriedly.

"Uh, Mr. Greenfield?" He rushed up to the director after making sure that Brittany wasn't following him. She wasn't – the makeup crew was fixing her slightly mussed eye shadow. "Didn't you notice what time it is?"

"Of course I did, Alvin. We've been here for ten hours." The director said wearily. "But we have to get this take in before-"

"But, Mr. Greenfield…remember the premiere?" Alvin lowered his voice. "I have to get there early to…you know."

Mr. Greenfield's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alvin, I forgot. This take just isn't going well…"He narrowed his eyes. "If you'd just remember who Brittany's character is supposed to be…"

"I'll try harder, really, I will, but we have to be there tonight. I have to get things ready."

The director sighed. "Okay, okay. And don't worry, I already promised you that you and Brittany could have tomorrow off. But after tomorrow, we have _got_ to get this scene finished. We're behind schedule as it is."

"No problem." Alvin assured him, thankful. "Just let Brittany know that I'll meet her there…tell her, uh, that I had to give Simon a hand with Theodore."

Mr. Greenfield sighed. "All right. But this better be some show tonight, Alvin."

Alvin grinned. "Trust me, Mr. Greenfield. It's going to be a show you'll never forget."

OoooOoooO

"It's about time you got here. We were starting to get worried."

"Sorry, Dave." Alvin said, leaping out of the limo and running into the rented ballroom. "Shooting isn't going well on the film. We kind of lost track of time."

"Where's Brittany?"

"She should be along in an hour or two. You know how long she takes to get ready." Alvin looked around the ballroom frantically. "Please, please tell me you got the banners up already. I have way to much to-"

"Don't worry, Alvin." Simon's voice came from behind him, and Alvin whirled around. His older brother was carrying a ladder and a roll of masking tape. "I got the banners up already."

Alvin could see that, now that his panic was subsiding. A large banner ran across the stage, proclaiming _Congratulations Alvin and Brittany on Your First Duet Album!"_

"Perfect!" Alvin exclaimed. Then he frowned. "They couldn't fit the name of the album on it?"

Simon looked at him in frustration. "If we had put _Alvin and Brittany – Together Forever at Last and Never Apart Again_, we wouldn't have had room to put up the other banner…and I thought that one was a little more important."

Though there was no other banner present in the room, Alvin smiled. "So you already got it up?"

"Yes…no thanks to you."

"Simon, you're being a little hard on your brother, don't you think?" Dave scolded Simon. "After all, this is a big night for him."

Simon sighed. "Sorry, Alvin, it's just been crazy around here tonight." He paused. "And yes, the other banner is rigged up and ready to go."

"Thanks, Simon." Alvin impulsively hugged his brother. "You're the best."

"Hey, what about me?" A voice said from beside him. Alvin turned to see Theodore grinning at him from his wheelchair. "I'm going to be the magic behind the scenes, remember."

"Of course," Alvin gave his little brother a fierce hug, grunting at the strength in Theodore's arms. Theodore had grown quite a bit of muscle in his arms over the years, being that the only way he could really move himself about was to pull himself around with his hands. "I wouldn't be able to pull this off without you, either, Theodore."

"You need to go get ready, Alvin." Dave reminded him. "Theodore, you go help him. Simon and I will finish with the decorations." Simon groaned. "People will be arriving to hear your and Brittany's debut album in a just about an hour. So hurry!"

Theodore and Alvin wasted no time running to the men's bathroom, where Alvin quickly changed into his tuxedo and washed the stage makeup from his face. "Do you need any help, Theodore?"

"Just with my pants." Theodore sounded frustrated. "Normally I could get it myself, but this darn cummerbund…"

It always amazed Alvin about just how self-sufficient Theodore had become. He still needed quite a bit of help…especially with personal cares, as he still couldn't always tell when he had soiled himself…but he had found multiple ways to alternately do things that Alvin took for granted.

His brother was definitely one special Chipmunk.

Theodore helped Alvin with his own cummerbund after Alvin had finished assisting him. "You look great, Alvin."

"Really?" Alvin regarded himself critically in the mirror. "I'm not so sure…is my tie crooked?"

"Its fine." Theodore assured him.

"And you talked to the MC. He knows he's introducing me, then I'm introducing Brittany, right?"

"I didn't forget, Alvin. He knows."

"Wonderful." Alvin patted his pocket protectively. "Okay. I think we've got everything set…I hope, at least…"

"Don't worry, Alvin. It'll be fine." Theodore hesitated. "So…are you ready for this?"

"Ready? No." Alvin shuddered. "I don't think I'll ever be ready. But I'm as ready as I'm going to ever be."

They could hear people starting to gather outside. "Okay, then, Alvin. It's show time."

Alvin could hear his and Brittany's new album playing softly in the background as he joined the party. He tried his hardest to make small talk, but in actuality was just waiting to see one familiar face join the crowd. He was rewarded after a short time when Brittany entered, flinging open the doors as if she were a twenties movie star making her entrance, and looking just as lovely. She was wearing a dark pink sequined gown, and somehow in the last two hours had totally transformed herself into a true American princess. Alvin wasted no time in going to her.

"You look lovely." He said quietly.

"Of course." Brittany agreed. She looked him over critically. "You don't look so bad yourself. Of course, " she said, straightening his tie. "Your bowtie was a little crooked."

Alvin thought he could live with that. "You ready?"

"I guess so." Brittany smiled at him nervously. "It's funny, you know? I've done these things with the Chippettes countless times but now that it's just you and me, I'm terrified. What if something goes wrong?

"Nothing is going to go wrong." Alvin assured her. "Trust me."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Alvin…"

Alvin sighed in exasperation. "_Why_ is it every time I say that someone has to act like I'm going to do something to get myself into trouble?"

"Because you usually do." Brittany pointed out.

"Well, I'm not. I promise."

The Master of Ceremonies calling their names interrupted them. "Well, it looks like the guests of honor have finally arrived." The MC called. "Alvin Seville, Brittany Miller, we would love it if you would come up here and say a few words."

Alvin gave Brittany's hand a squeeze. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Brittany squeezed his hand back, and they walked up to the stage with their hands still entwined.

"You all know them from their hit bands _Alvin and the Chipmunks_ and _Brittany and the Chippettes_, but this is the first album that Alvin and Brittany have made solo together." The MC said. "And if this first album is any indicator, they have a _very _profitable future ahead of them. And now, " The MC swung his hand with some fanfare. "It's Alvin and Brittany!"

Alvin had to make sure he got to the microphone first. Brittany still seemed a little nervous, a little out of character for her, but lucky for him. "Hi, everyone." He said into the microphone. "First off, I'd like to thank my brothers, Simon and Theodore, for being so supportive. And Dave, my dad, who always believed in me." He could see Dave smiling in the front. Simon and Theodore were nowhere to be found, but that didn't worry Alvin. "And of course the Chippettes, who were not only some of my best friends, but also our muses. But that, of course, should be left for Brittany to speak about. And so…" This was it…"I give you my fiancé, Brittany Miller."

Silence reigned in the entire hall. For a room holding over a thousand people, you couldn't even hear anyone breathe.

"Fiancé?" Brittany finally said, looking at Alvin in astonishment. "What? _Fiancé_?"

"Well, Brittany, we've always known-"

A little of Brittany's signature anger was starting to show through. "_Fiancé_? Are you kidding me? You never even asked me!"

"I didn't?" Alvin asked in false astonishment.

"No, you didn't!" Brittany accused, her anger making her forget that she was on national television. "I think I would have remembered."

"Would you have said no?"

"Well, of course not, but I would have appreciated the courtesy-"

"You're right." Alvin said, dropping to one knee. "I didn't think about how much you would have wanted a romantic proposal." He pulled a velvet box from his pocket. "But I'm asking now."

That was Theodore's cue. From behind the stage, he pulled the rope that released the hidden banner that was hung across from the stage. Simon simultaneously started playing Brittany and Alvin's signature song, _Together Forever._

Brittany gasped as she saw the banner drop. On it, in gold calligraphy, were the words: _Brittany, will you marry me?_

Alvin opened the velvet box. Inside, a diamond ring that rivaled Elizabeth Taylor's lay, surrounded by rubies. "Brittany," He said, reaching up with the box. "I love you more than anything in this world. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Brittany could only stare at the ring, speechless. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Eons passed as she gazed at the ring, then looked at Alvin, then gazed at the ring again. Again the entire room seemed to be holding their breath.

Suddenly she smiled at Alvin, her features lighting up the room as nothing else could ever do. "Yes, Alvin. I will marry you."

The applause that followed was thunderous. Alvin and Brittany didn't care. Alvin slipped off the promise ring he had given her so many years ago and replaced it with the much more expensive engagement ring. He handed the promise ring back to her. "Keep it. Maybe you can give it to one of our daughters someday."

Brittany laughed delightedly, pulling Alvin to his feet. "You're getting a head of yourself, Alvin." She kissed him then, and if possible, the cheering got louder. She broke away. "Right now, we have a premier to host."

"Do we have to?" Alvin said plaintively.

"Yes." Brittany said firmly, and then smiled at him seductively. "But just wait until _after_ the premiere…"

Alvin couldn't stop the grin that crossed his face.

_Yes!_

**End of Part One**

Reviews appreciated!!


	2. Chapter 2

I am trying to keep the medical science to this story as accurate as possible, but as I am only a C.N.A. and not a neurosurgeon please forgive the inaccuracies if they occur.

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 2**

"Trust Alvin to take a marriage proposal and turn it into a publicity stunt."

Jeannette slapped at Simon playfully. "Oh, Simon, don't be mean. You know Brittany. There's nothing she would have liked better than to be proposed to on national television."

"I know." Simon smiled at her, taking her hand. "But still, it's going to be interesting to see how their cd sales skyrocket after this."

Jeannette watched Alvin and Brittany dancing for moment, wishing briefly that she had a little of that magic grace her sister had. The two of them seemed totally lost in each other, and Jeannette shook her head. "Honestly, Simon, I'm not even sure they'll notice. Just look at them."

Simon did. "They do look happy, don't they."

"Yes." Jeannette hoped that Simon couldn't hear the faint sadness in her voice. It wasn't that Simon and her relationship was having any problems, it was just…well, lately it seemed like there was almost no relationship at all. She had just completed her P.H.D. in Organic Chemistry, and he was just starting his residency at the local University hospital. Between the two of them, they were the youngest graduates from their university ever.

As always, however, Simon seemed to be able to read her mind. "Do you feel like getting some fresh air?" He asked, standing and offering his hand. "We've barely had any time alone together, and the marina's not far from here."

Jeannette smiled. "I don't think anyone will notice if we sneak off."

No one did. They walked in silence as they headed to the marina, casually holding hands.

"I have to choose which doctor I'm going to mentor under soon." Simon said suddenly.

"Really? I thought you had more time." Jeannette said. They continued down the pier. "Are you still debating between the same two?"

"Yes…"Simon shrugged. "Dr. Thomas is a brilliant surgeon, and he has years of experience. Just being offered a mentorship with him is an honor."

"That seems like it would make it an easy choice, then." Jeannette pointed out.

"I know, but Dr. Pryce…" Simon seemed to be hesitating over something. "He's really into the cutting-edge technology. And he specializes in studying spinal cord nerve regeneration."

"Oh." There was no question as to why that appealed to Simon. "But isn't that _Quentin _Pryce? The doctor who was just under inquiry for unethical practices?"

"The charges were dropped." Simon defended the doctor.

"But still…" Jeannette said.

"Jeannette, the man took a woman who had been a quadriplegic for ten years and was able to give her back almost full use of her arms. She had a seventy percent recovery rate in her upper body. _Seventy percent!_ No other doctor has ever even come close to that."

"But weren't there complications…"

Simon nodded in frustration. "Yes, there was…somehow, the synthetic myelin he used to protect the new nerve growth caused a rejection issue. She reverted back to being paralyzed, but the possibilities…"

"Dr. Thomas is a brilliant neurosurgeon, too." Jeannette reminded him. She just had a bad feeling about this Quentin Pryce, but didn't want to seem unreasonable. "You said so yourself. And maybe getting a solid understanding of the basics first would be a sound idea before moving on to more 'cutting-edge' technology."

"You have a point." Simon admitted. "I have to be rational about his. I can't let my emotions make this decision for me."

"So…?"

"You think I should choose Dr. Thomas, don't you?" Simon asked her, cocking his eyebrow.

"Honestly?" Jeannette made it a habit never to lie to her boyfriend. "Yes. I just don't trust a doctor who is only thirty-four and already has been accused of unethical practices."

Simon kissed her cheek. "How can I ignore the voice of reason? Dr. Thomas it is."

Jeannette smiled at him. "Good."

They had reached the end of the pier, where a wrought-iron bench was resting. "Let's sit, Jeannette." Simon said.

Jeannette sat and let Simon wrap one arm around her, snuggling into him gratefully. They sat that way for a moment, watching the boats sail past on the darkness of the water. The moon was full tonight, and it cast a magical glow over the ocean, making Jeannette think of the water as not being water at all but liquid silver.

"Jeannette." Simon said after a moment.

"Yes, Simon?"  
"If I ever proposed to you, you wouldn't want all that hullabaloo, would you?"  
Jeannette's heart speeded up. They had never discussed this before. "Simon, you know me better than that. Of course I wouldn't –I wouldn't even know what to do with all the attention."

"Okay, that's good." Simon laughed nervously. "I wouldn't know how to set up something that would get you that much attention, anyways."

"No, that's Alvin's specialty." Jeannette sat up, looking at him quizzically. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Simon seemed edgy for some reason. "I have just been thinking lately. About us. And you, well, I thought you might someday like a little hullabadoo-hullaballoon…ugh." Simon sighed in frustration. "I thought you might someday like a big to-do about it."

"No, I don't think I would."

"And I know I 'm not very romantic. I try, but I just can't seem to…I mean, my tang gets all tungled up…ugh. This isn't going well at all." Simon seemed about to growl in aggravation.

"It's okay, Simon." Jeannette told him gently, even though her heart was pounding in her ears like the sound of drums. She looked at the moon's reflection in the water, putting her hand on one of his knees. "It's beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

"Yes." Simon took her face and turned it towards his. "It is beautiful."

Jeannette blushed.

"Jeannette, I wanted to do this when we were alone. I know I can't compare with what Alvin was able to pull off, but I thought…" Jeannette felt something being slipped onto her left ring finger. "I thought it would mean more if we shared this just between the two of us."

Jeannette looked down at her hand. A platinum band shone there, with a single pear-shaped blue diamond sparkling in the center of it. "Simon?"

"I've known you since we were children, Jeannette. For years we were both so involved in our own lives, our own projects, that I could never see you as more than a close friend…a study-buddy, if you will." Jeannette laughed a little at the sheepish look on Simon's face. "But over the last few years, you've become so much more. You don't mind that I idolize Albert Einstein and I trip over my own feet-"

"It's no worse than idolizing Marie Curie." Jeannette pointed out, her eyes brimming. "And you're not the only one who has two left feet."

Simon laughed a little. "My point is, the last five years have been the happiest of my life. I don't ever want that to end, Jeannette. I can't give you a national broadcast of how I feel, or banners or special songs. All I can give you is this…"he held her hand up, letting the ice-blue diamond sparkle in the moonlight. "And my heart."

Simon knelt before her on the bench. "Jeannette Miller, will you marry me?"

Jeannette smiled brilliantly, tears running down her face. "Of course I will, Simon!"

Simon stood, pulling her to her feet and kissing her soundly. When they broke apart, tears of happiness were staining both their faces. Jeannette laughed.

"I don't know what to say after that." Jeannette said.

"It does leave one sort of speechless, doesn't it?"

Jeannette stared at her ring. It was much simpler then Brittany's, but in her mind it was more beautiful and elegant than any adornment that had ever been made. She looked at Simon. "So…do you think we should tell Brittany and Alvin?"

Simon paused. "Nah. Let's wait until tomorrow. This is their night."

Jeannette stepped up on her tippy-toes and kissed him gently. "I couldn't agree more."

OoooOoooO

"Can you keep a secret?"

Eleanor looked at Theodore curiously. "That's an interesting way to start a conversation, Theodore. What type of secret?"

Theodore was watching Brittany and Alvin dancing on the ballroom floor happily. "A big one."

"Is it going to get me into any trouble?" Eleanor asked cautiously.

"No! And don't worry, you won't have to keep it for long…but I am going to burst if I don't tell you soon."

Eleanor smiled at him. "Well, we wouldn't want that. I'm surprised you're not bursting already with all the crab-cakes you've eaten tonight."

Theodore blushed. "I was busy all day helping Simon get the ballroom ready. I hadn't eaten since breakfast."

"Don't worry, I'm happy about it." Theodore was at a very healthy weight now, but Eleanor still sometimes fretted over how much he ate – it was a hard habit to get over, considering how difficult it had been for him to get back onto solid foods after the accident. "But sure, I can keep a secret…at least for a little while." She winked at him.

"Did you notice that Jeannette and Simon left a little while ago?"

Eleanor glanced around. "Why, no, I didn't. Where'd they go?"

Theodore glanced around furtively. "Okay, don't tell Alvin or Brittany, 'cause Simon wanted this to be their special night, but he took Jeannette down to the marina…"

"Yes?" Eleanor waited in anticipation.

"And…he's going to propose to Jeannette, too!" Theodore grinned.

"Really?" Eleanor smiled just as big.

"Really." Theodore shrugged. "I think Simon knew that Jeannette wouldn't want a big to-do, and so decided to do it while everyone's attention was diverted on Alvin and Brittany."

Eleanor batted her lashes at him…"So does this mean…?"

Suddenly Theodore looked terrified. "Um, Eleanor, I know that we three usually do things together, but, you know…"

Eleanor laughed. "I'm kidding, Theodore. I'm not ready to get married. "

"Oh, good." Theodore sighed in relief. Eleanor looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Not that I wouldn't love being married to you, but…"

"Its okay, I understand."

Over the years they had come to some certain conclusions about their relationship. The future still remained unclear in many ways. Since the accident, Theodore had undergone three more surgeries, in an attempt for him to regain some function in his lower limbs, but none of them had been successful. The doctors had reluctantly told him that there was nothing they could do at this time. Somehow both Theodore and Eleanor had been counting on those procedures to give them a few more options in their lives. It was hard coming to terms with the fact that there _were_ no more options open to them.

Still, they would persevere. Until a new medical breakthrough came through for them – or a miracle – they would have to just continue on as they had for the last five years…being strong together.

Eleanor couldn't help the small part of her that felt sadness at her sisters' engagements, though. She didn't know if Theodore would ever gain the courage to propose to her, though they had never talked about it. Whenever they would talk about the future, they would talk about their possible careers, or what kind of an aunt and uncle they would make, or whether or not they thought they should continue touring every year or break it up to every few years. They never spoke of marriage, or children, or even of what kind of home they would eventually want. It was if Theodore wanted to live only in the now, somehow afraid of the future and unable to let himself think about their hopes together for later in life.

"Here they are." She whispered to Theodore, seeing Jeannette and Simon come in through the back door. Jeannette looked radiant, and she was clutching her left hand possessively. "Can I go congratulate them, or –"

"No!" Theodore looked petrified. "Simon would _kill_ me if he knew I told you."

"Oh, I doubt that." Eleanor stood and ran over to Jeannette before Theodore could stop her. "Hi, Jeannette."

Jeannette hid her hand behind her dress. "Oh, hi, Eleanor."

Theodore was already behind her. Brother, he could really move around fast in that wheelchair of his. "Uh, Simon, hi."

Simon looked at them suspiciously. "Hi, Theodore, Eleanor."

Eleanor smiled brightly. "So, what have you guys been up to?"

"Nothing. Just a walk." Jeannette said too quickly.

It didn't fool Simon, though. "Theodore, you promised you wouldn't tell!"

Theodore blushed. "It was just Eleanor, Simon, and you _know_ I can't keep secrets from her!"

Eleanor couldn't help it any more – she squealed and jumped up and down. "Oh, congratulations, Jeannette! I'm so happy for you." She hugged her sister fiercely. "Can I see the ring?"

Jeannette showed it off proudly for a moment, and then hid her hand again. "Okay, enough already. This is Brittany's night. We'll tell everyone else tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Eleanor could barely contain her excitement. She glanced over to where Alvin and Brittany were sitting at a table, each with a plate of food in front of them but both untouched. "I don't think we could get their attention tonight, anyways."

Jeannette looked over at the glowing pair and smiled. "I don't think we could either, Eleanor."

**End of Part 2 **

**Reviews very much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

I am trying to keep the medical science to this story as accurate as possible, but as I am only a C.N.A. and not a neurosurgeon please forgive the inaccuracies if they occur. I am learning a lot about back surgery and nerve regeneration, though!

_**Justifying the Means **_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

_"The end justifies the means." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

**Chapter 3**

"You're doing remarkably well, Simon." Dr. Thomas said. "In fact, I'd have to say you've been my best student yet."

"Thank you, sir." Simon tried not to blush as he scrubbed his hands vigorously. The surgery he had just assisted with had lasted twelve hours, and he was exhausted. It wasn't the first time he had assisted Dr. Thomas during a procedure, but it was his longest one yet.

"I think you're almost ready to try one on your own, Simon." Dr. Thomas told him, drying his own hands. "Your technique is flawless, and the stamina you showed in there…not many residents could handle that."

Simon froze, his hands dripping water in the sink. "What? Already?"

Dr. Thomas tossed the paper towel into the wastebasket and smiled at Simon. He was a stately looking man with iron-gray hair, and even though he was built like a football linebacker, when he smiled his face was kind. "I'm serious, Simon. Your control while assisting me with the installation of the titanium rods was remarkable. And your focus is amazing." Dr. Thomas looked at him encouragingly. "You're ready, Simon."

"But-"

"No buts, Simon. Doubt is something a doctor cannot afford to indulge in. You have to trust yourself." Dr. Thomas said, removing his disposable surgical gown and throwing it away in the biohazard bag. "Violet Carrington is due for a minor back surgery soon – nothing major, just a herniated disk. No nerve damage risks. It should be a four hour procedure, tops." The elder doctor opened his locker. "I'd be your assisting physician, of course, just in case there were any complications, but honestly…I don't think there will be."

"You really think I'm ready?" Simon asked.

"No doubts, remember that, Simon. You can't doubt yourself on an operating table." Dr. Thomas looked at him seriously. "You _are_ ready."

Simon grinned. "Okay." Then his face fell. "Oh, no, doctor, I can't. I forgot-"

"Don't worry, Simon." Dr. Thomas patted him on the shoulder. "The surgery isn't scheduled for a month – a full week after you get back from your honeymoon."

"Oh, good." Simon sighed in relief.

"What is it now? Three more days until you tie the knot?"

"Yes." Simon couldn't believe how fast the months had gone. Three days was all he had left. "My bachelor party's tonight."

"That should be fun."

"I guess. I'm just so nervous, though…"

Dr. Thomas laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, son. All grooms feel that way. You'll do fine."

The door opened to the hospital locker room, and Dr. Pryce walked in. "Hello, Simon." He said politely, nodding his head. "Dr. Thomas."

"Dr. Pryce." The elder doctor inclined his head the slightest bit.

Quentin Pryce was about as different from Francis Thomas as could be. Dr. Thomas was tall and broad, with a kind face and iron-gray hair, while Pryce was shorter – about 5'9", only a little taller than Simon. Pryce had a Mediterranean look to him, with his dark brown hair, olive skin and eyes that were almost black. He was slender and also quite a bit younger, and Simon knew for a fact that many of the female nurses found him attractive. "Nurse Jenkins told me you did an excellent job assisting Dr. Thomas in the O.R., Simon."

"He did perfectly." Dr. Thomas said. He closed his locker with a clang, tossing his suit coat over his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Simon. Again, great job."

"Thanks."

Dr. Thomas didn't say anything to Pryce on his way out. There was no love lost between the two surgeons, as they didn't meet eye to eye on just about anything, but Simon still couldn't help but admire the both of them. Dr. Thomas was teaching him so much, but Simon was unable to keep himself from wondering just what Quentin Pryce could teach him as well. Pryce's work was so groundbreaking, it was almost heart wrenching that he wasn't able to study it with him.

Dr. Pryce unlocked his own locker. "Jenkins even said that Dr. Thomas is thinking of letting you be the primary physician during the Carrington woman's back surgery. Is that true?"

"Boy, news sure travels fast around here." Simon said. "Yes, doctor. He says he thinks I'm ready."

"It's about time." Dr. Pryce said, neatly hanging his coat in his immaculate locker. "In my opinion, you would have been ready to do it today."

Simon frowned. "We were working on someone who had severe nerve damage in the lumbar area, Dr. Pryce." He told him. "Dr. Thomas though it would be better if I wait a while before working with such cases."

"But I thought that's where your interest lies…nerve reconstruction." Dr. Pryce looked at him critically. "I know that's what jumped out at me on your application."

"It is." Simon admitted.

Dr. Pryce closed his locker. "Simon." He said, turning back to him." I have to tell you…I was very disappointed when you chose to work with Dr. Thomas instead of me."

Simon squirmed uncomfortably. "Dr. Pryce, I really admire you, but-"

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, Simon." Pryce told him gently. "Dr. Thomas is an excellent doctor and an exceptional teacher. But I think you have more potential than he realizes – or than you realize."

"He's already putting a lot of faith in me, doctor." Simon pointed out.

"And rightly so. But…I just hope you're not holding yourself back." Dr. Pryce hesitated. "I know you're already swamped, but I would feel remiss if I didn't at least offer you the opportunity…" Dr. Pryce looked at him hopefully. "I'm sure you've heard of the…legal difficulties I've had in the past. Completely groundless charges, I assure you…and I finally convinced the University to reinstate my research grant. I'm going to be continuing my work on reconstructive neural microsurgery. I start in three months." Dr. Pryce paused. "I can think of no better assistant physician to aid in my research than you."

Simon just stood there a moment, shocked. "But, sir, I've only been a resident for-"

"I know how long you've been working here, Simon. But I also know you're the most talented young physician I've ever seen." Dr. Pryce looked at him earnestly. "I'm not just flattering you, either, Simon. I've never seen _anyone_ work as diligently as you have, not only to learn, but to learn, well, everything you can – and I've never seen you make a single mistake. You've made quite an impression on the staff here, Simon, whether you know it or not."

Simon couldn't help it this time, and he blushed. "Thank you, sir. But my residency requires me to –"

"I could work it out with the hospital so that you could use your hours working with me at the research facility to count towards your residency. You would still have to work here, and you'd be working even more hours than you are now…but you would be a part of something that could revolutionize the field of neurology."

It was so tempting…but he was already working so many hours, and he and Jeannette already were having trouble just struggling for time to see each other…"I don't know, sir. I'm flattered, but it's a lot to think about…and I'll have to talk to Jeannette."

"Oh, yes, you're getting married soon, aren't you?" Dr. Pryce smiled at him in a friendly way. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Is it going to be a big wedding?"

Simon laughed a little. "No, very small. Just my close friends and family. Alvin's the one who's having the big wedding."

"Ah, yes." Dr. Pryce seemed to be amused. "I remember a little about your famous brother's antics. He would want the wedding of the century, wouldn't he?"

"Not just him, but his fiancé's just as bad. She seems to want to outdo Princess Diana's wedding, from the sound of it."

"But not you, right?" Dr. Pryce looked at him. "I'm betting you're just having your brothers as your groomsmen, right?"

"Actually, they're both the best man…uh, best men." Simon said. "I couldn't choose."

"I could see that being a problem." Dr. Pryce's gaze turned piercing. "Your other brother's name is Theodore, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I thought so." Dr. Pryce said, almost to himself. "He's the one who had the accident some years back, isn't he?"

That brought back painful memories, and Simon pushed them away. "Yes."

"He's still in a wheelchair, isn't he? Paralyzed from the waist down, if I remember correctly. The nerves in his back were completely destroyed, weren't they."

Simon nodded solemnly. "Yes."

Dr. Pryce suddenly looked at his watch. "Goodness, look at the time. I've got to get going." He smiled at Simon and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Congratulations on your wedding again, Simon."

"Thank you."

"And please, think about my offer." Dr. Pryce said as he left the room. "I would love to have you on my team…Dr. Seville.

OoooOoooO

"Isabelle, you can _not_ have blue hair if you are going to be in my wedding!"

Jeannette could almost see Isabelle glare at Brittany. "Why in bloody hell not? Are you going to make Eleanor dye her hair?"

Jeannette could hear Brittany sigh exasperatedly outside her dressing room. "Of course not, Belle. She's a natural blonde. Why would she dye her hair?"

"Maybe I'm a natural blue-hair and nature just didn't know it."

Jeannette grinned as she called out over the dressing room door. "I don't care if you keep your hair blue for my wedding, Belle. It'll even match the bridesmaid's dresses."

"Thanks, Jeannette!" Isabelle called back.

"Well, you're no help at all, Jeannette…I thought you'd at least be on my side." Brittany sounded annoyed. "Well? Are we going to see the finished project?"

Jeannette hesitated, looking at herself one last time in the mirror. She couldn't believe her dress was finally finished…after all the alterations, fittings, and countless hours of agonizing over just which dress to buy, it seemed amazing. It was finally happening. She was getting married.

"Blue hair is _not_ appropriate-" Brittany was still arguing with Isabelle as Jeannette left the dressing room, but gasped as she saw her sister for the first time. "Oh, my!"

"Do you like it?" Jeannette spun around. She had based the idea for her wedding gown on the ball gown Audrey Hepburn had worn during the royal ball scene in _My Fair Lady._ The seamstress had done an exquisite job. It was nearly a perfect replica. The dress was made of pure-white silk, and a nearly transparent shimmering fabric clung to the silk gracefully. A tiara rested on her head, blue jewels dripping from it, and she wore long silk white opera gloves that came up past her elbows. The biggest difference from the Hepburn gown was the ice-blue gems that studded the transparent fabric that covered her upper chest, revealing nothing but suggesting _everything_.

"I…I…"Brittany seemed at a loss for words. "I never thought I'd say this, Jeannette, but I am so jealous of you right now I could kill myself."

Jeannette laughed. "Oh, Brittany, just wait until your wedding. I'm sure you'll outshine any bride there ever was."

Brittany's confidence started to return. "Of course I will."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother."

Jeannette nearly laughed at the haughty look Brittany sent Isabelle's way. It was funny, that they had all bonded with Isabelle so well…well, it had taken Brittany some time, but once she had realized that the British punk girl wasn't a threat to her and Alvin she had warmed up considerably. In fact, within a year it was as if she and Isabelle had been friends for life. It had helped considerably when Isabelle had moved out of the Seville's and into her own apartment.

They still had an almost legendary verbal sparring contest going on, though. Jeannette thought it was because, though neither girl would like to admit it, they were just too much alike.

"I'd like you to know, Belle, that I was voted most beaut-"

"Hey, my wedding? Remember?" Jeannette felt it best to interrupt before it went any further. "Seriously, girls. What do you think?"

"You look beautiful, Jeannette." Eleanor assured her. She spun around then too, the blue silk of her skirt twirling around her elegantly. "And I _love_ these bridesmaid's dresses. They're perfect."

"They sure are, pet." Isabelle said, glancing at Brittany. "They match everything perfectly."

Jeannette stifled a laugh. The blue silk _did_ match Isabelle's hair to a tee. Unintentionally, of course, but she had a feeling she would never live it down. "I'm glad you like them."

"Of course we do." Eleanor assured her. The Chippette looked at herself in the three-way mirror critically. "The only thing is…how are we going to tell the maids of honor from the bridesmaid?"

Isabelle barked a laugh. "This has got to be the only wedding I've ever heard of with _two _maids of honor and only _one_ bridesmaid."

"I couldn't choose between my sisters, Belle." Jeannette said. "So I just decided you'd all wear the same gowns…except for these."

Jeannette walked carefully over to her purse. She didn't want to trip in the white satin pumps she was wearing. More and more she was considering just buying a pair of flats – she could just see herself falling down as she walked towards the judge during their ceremony.

"Here." She handed each of the girls a silk-lined box. "It's traditional to give the bridesmaids gifts, so I got these for you. I hope you like them."

Isabelle gasped as she opened her box. Inside laid a necklace, the chain made of platinum and the gem hanging from it a dazzling topaz. "Oh, Jeannette, I can't take this…"

"I can." Brittany said, already fastening the necklace about her neck. Her jewel was a radiant ruby. "It's beautiful, Jeannette. I love it."

Eleanor's pendant was, to no one's surprise, an emerald that shone like green fire. She just held it in her hand, speechless.

"Do you like them?" Jeannette asked.

She was answered by a breath-taking hug from Isabelle. "It's the most wonderful gift I've ever gotten in my life." Isabelle smiled shyly. "Other than you and Brittany including me in your weddings, of course."

"Oh, that's nothing, Belle." Brittany replied, smiling. "You're like a sister now."

Isabelle suddenly hugged her too. "Thanks, Brittany."

Brittany looked surprised. "For what? Jeannette's the one who bought the gifts."

"I've never really had a family." Isabelle admitted, her eyes looking down shyly. "It's nice…feeling like I have one."

"That's what weddings are all about, Belle." Eleanor told her warmly. "Family."

Jeannette grinned. "Yeah. Family."

"Hey!" Brittany protested. "That's not what weddings are all about."

Jeannette looked at her curiously. "Then what _are_ they about?"

"Get out of that dress and I'll show you." Brittany had a very Alvin-like twinkle in her eye.

"Brittany…"

"Weddings are also about…" Brittany smiled widely. "Bachelorette parties!"

Jeannette looked alarmed. "But, Brittany, I told you –"

"You didn't really expect us to _not_ have a party for you, did you?" Isabelle said, shaking her head ruefully.

"_You_ were in on this too?" Jeannette asked incredulously.

"Of course. And believe me." Isabelle winked at her. "Between me and Brittany, we have got the most amazing party you have ever been to planned for tonight."

Brittany nodded. "You are going to have the time of your life."

Jeannette wondered about that. Brittany and Isabelle…planning a Bachelorette party? It was a recipe for disaster.

Uh-oh.

**End of part 3**

**Thanks for the reviews. There is a lot of prologue to this story, which I hope people enjoy, because this is kind of even more of a character story than _Neptune's Ocean._**

**Hugs to you all!**

**Pyxelle.**


	4. Chapter 4

M L Europe - thanks for the great review….I love getting reviews, and they really spur the stories along…but if you look at the dates published, I write pretty fast so I hope I keep your attention….check out my personal page if you want to email me, I love pen pals!

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI! (also, some drinking mentions in it…hey, its bachelor party time!)

_**Justifying the Means **_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

_"The end justifies the means." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

**Chapter 4**

"Maybe the karaoke machine wasn't such a good idea, luv." Isabelle whispered aside to Brittany.

Brittany nodded. "Maybe we should have made Jeannette go a little easier on the champagne, too."

Isabelle giggled as they watched Jeannette whirl Eleanor around, dancing with her and still singing to _Destiny's Child._ "No, I think we gave her _just enough_ champagne."

Brittany giggled herself – her and Isabelle had consumed quite a lot of champagne themselves. "You did remember the camcorder, right?"

Isabelle pointed to the hidden camera in behind a fern on her end table. "Oh, yeah. This is going to be _priceless."_

Brittany looked at Isabelle. "You do realize she is going to kill us when we show her that tape, don't you?"

Isabelle nodded, then gestured to Jeannette – who was swinging her hips seductively and acting very un-Jeannette like. "No doubt about it. But it will be worth it."

They clinked champagne glasses. "We did good." Brittany sipped her Asti Spumante. "Thanks for letting us use your apartment. The girls at the sorority house offered, but Jeannette only wanted a small party, and Miss Miller's getting on in years. I don't think she could have taken it. I hope your neighbor's don't mind."

"Not at all, they're cool." Isabelle had picked up quite a few Americanisms while living in the states. "No worries."

The song ended and Eleanor collapsed on Isabelle's cherry-red couch gratefully. "No more." She said, gasping. "No more. I need a break."

"Oh, come on, Elle." Brittany didn't think she had ever heard Jeannette call Eleanor by that particular name before. Eleanor shook her head. Jeannette looked at Brittany, her glasses a bit more askew than usual. "Okay, then, Brittany. Your turn. We can sing _Material Girl."_

Why did everyone always associate that song with her? "Maybe later, Jeannette. Eleanor's right – its time for a break."

Jeannette pouted. "Party pooper." Brittany almost laughed as Jeannette flopped into the chair next to her and Isabelle. "No one wants to sing with me."

Isabelle laughed. "We've been singing with you for three hours."

Jeannette waggled her finger at her – well, at least in her general direction. "I'll have you know that Brittany and Eleanor and I used to have concerts that would last hours and hours and hours and –"

"Really." Isabelle interrupted, her voice amused. She handed Jeannette her champagne flute.

Jeannette looked at it for a moment, then put it on the table. "I think I might need to take a break from the champagne." She said. "I think I'm a little intoculated…intixacated…"She shook her head. "Intoxicated."

"The word would be drunk, Jeannette."

"I am _not _drunk!" Jeannette denied, swaying in her chair. "Just a little lipsy."

"Tipsy."

"Tipsy." Jeannette corrected herself.

Brittany laughed at her. "What's the difference between being drunk and being tipsy?"

Jeannette seemed to need to think about that. "I don't know…'drunk' just sounds so…so…so crass."

They all burst into laughter at that. It was a pure Jeannette comment.

"Okay, a break on the champagne." Brittany said. "That means…presents!"

A stack of gifts suddenly appeared in front of Jeannette. "Oh, thank you!" Jeannette squealed.

"There would have been more if you would have let us invite some other people."

Jeannette shook her head. "At your bachelor party, you can have as many people as you want." Brittany didn't correct her on her verbal slip. "I just wanted my closest friends here – my sisters."

"Sisters?" Isabelle said shyly.

Jeannette smiled at her brilliantly. "Of course, Belle. You're an honorary Miller now." She hugged her briefly. "But now…presents!"

Brittany smiled as Jeannette fumbled a little with her gifts – she'd never seen her sister intoxicated and was having trouble not laughing. Jeannette was trying so hard to retain her usual reserved manner but failing miserably.

From Eleanor she received a custom-made soap-and-perfume scent set, everything perfected to perfume her with her signature scent of lilac and lotus bloom. Eleanor received big hugs for that one. From Isabelle she got a collection of toys that made Jeannette blush as she rifled through them…especially when she got to the powder blue fuzzy handcuffs.

"Belle, I don't think that Simon is going to be interested in these, really." Jeannette said, dangling the blue cuffs from one finger.

"Hey, you never know…and if he does like them…"Isabelle wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Meeoow."

"Blue fuzzy handcuffs?"

"I got them to match Brittany's gift."

"You did?" Jeannette looked at Brittany suspiciously.

Brittany handed her a smallish dress box wrapped in silver paper. "Don't jump to conclusions, Jeannette. Its just clothes."

"Oh, okay."

"But you have to promise me you'll wear it."

"Of course I'll wear it, whatever it is." If Jeannette had been just even a little bit less intoxicated, she would have probably heard the mischievousness in Brittany's voice…but a promise was a promise…

"Oh, my." Jeannette said as she stared at the contents of the box. "Well, it does match Belle's gift." She concluded dubiously.

"Let me see!" Eleanor said excitedly.

Jeannette pulled out a beautiful blue silk teddy that seemed to be made almost as much of transparent lace as it was of silk. A sheer ankle length blue robe accompanied it, and Isabelle had been right – the same powder-blue fuzzy material lined the wrists and bottom. "It's beautiful…. but I'll never be able to wear this…"

"You promised." Brittany said."

"But I-"

"I have to go to the bathroom." Eleanor said suddenly.

Brittany was glad to notice that she had been the only one of the Chippettes to see how the tears had suddenly filled Eleanor's eyes.

"So, are you going to model it for us?" Isabelle asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Jeannette looked shocked. "I'm not sure I'd be able to even wear it for Simon."

"Here." Isabelle handed Jeannette her champagne flute. "You need some more champagne. And trust me, Simon is going to _love_ it."

"Give me a minute, will you? I'll be right back." Brittany was worried. Something was wrong with Eleanor, but she didn't want to ruin Jeannette's night. "I'll be right back." She started off after her younger sister, but they other two didn't seem to notice.

Brittany was alarmed when she heard the crying outside the bathroom door. "Eleanor? You okay?"

A set of hasty sniffles answered her. "Fine."

"Can I come in?"

"I'm using the toilet."

Brittany put her hands on her hips. "No, you're not. Let me in."

The door unlatched. Eleanor had already fixed her makeup but her eyes were red. "Yes?"

Brittany pushed her way into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. "Okay, Eleanor. What's wrong? I thought you were having fun!"

"I was! I mean, I am!" Eleanor insisted, sitting on the edge of the tub. "I guess it was just seeing the teddy you bought for Jeannette."

Brittany frowned. "You're crying 'cause you don't like the lingerie I picked out for our sister?"

"No! It's lovely, just lovely." Eleanor quickly assured her. She hiccupped, then looked at Brittany curiously. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, anything."

Eleanor seemed embarrassed, but went ahead anyways. "Have you and Alvin…you know…made love yet?

That was a sensitive subject. "Honestly?"

"Of course."

"Well…yes." Brittany hurried on. "We're careful, really, but…yes."

"Oh." It seemed difficult for Eleanor to continue. "Is it…fun?'

That seemed to be a strange question. "Well…yeah. A lot of fun." Brittany smiled a little in memory. "A real lot of fun."

"Oh."

Suddenly Brittany realized where this was going. "Oh, Eleanor, I –"

"Don't worry, Brittany. I'm happy that you guys are doing so well." Eleanor didn't sound it. She sounded on the verge of tears again. "But…I'm twenty-three, Brittany, and a virgin. And if I stay with Theodore, I'll be a virgin forever."

Brittany had no idea what to say to that. "Eleanor, I'm –"

"Don't say you're sorry. And I'm not leaving Theodore. I love him too much for that." She paused. "But I don't like the idea of living my life as a nun, either."

"Eleanor, there are other things you can do…" Brittany was very uncomfortable with this conversation, but she felt that it was important for her to help her sister right now.

"I know. It's just…you and Jeannette getting married – don't get me wrong, I'm so happy for you I could burst – it just makes me think about my own future. My own choices. I don't regret the choices I'm making, but I am wondering how I am going to live with them."

Brittany wished she had something wise to say to her sister, or a magic wand to make it all better, but she didn't. "I guess you'll just have to deal with things as they come."

Eleanor wiped her eyes. "I know." She seemed to get a hold of herself. "We should get back to Belle and Jeannette…before Belle makes Jeannette do something she'll regret later."

Wanting to cheer her sister up, Brittany leaned in conspiratorially. "Want to know a secret?"

Eleanor looked at her suspiciously. "What?"

"We've been videotaping the whole night. We're going to show it to her tomorrow."

Eleanor tried to look shocked, but quickly dissolved into giggles instead. "Oh, you two better let her know I wasn't in on it. _I _don't have a death wish."

"Deal." Brittany stood, grabbing her little sister's hand and opening the bathroom door. "Come on."

When they entered the living room, they both stopped dead. Somehow, in someway, Isabelle had gotten Jeannette to change into her new lingerie and she was modeling it proudly – right in front of the hidden camera, to no less.

"Do you guys like it?" Jeannette asked, a very slight slur in her voice.

"Love it." Eleanor said brightly, then turned to Brittany and hissed at her.

"You'd_ really_ better tell her I had nothing to do with this."

OooooOooooO

"Did anyone ever notice that sunlight is really, really bright?" Simon said in a very quiet voice.

Alvin cracked one eye open, snuggling closer to Brittany. "It is, isn't it? Has anyone thought to complain?"

"I don't think it would do any good. Maybe last night, when we could have complained to the rum-and-cokes, and jager-bombs, and that drink that I can't remember the name of…" Simon groaned. "Okay, I don't understand bachelor parties. If you feel like this the day after, then why have them?"

Bachelor party…Alvin suddenly became aware of the warm body next to him. Brittany wouldn't have been at Simon's bachelor party… "Gavin!"

"Humph?" Gavin sat up quickly, and just as quickly groaned and dove back under the covers. "No, way, too early!"

Alvin threw the covers off his friend, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. "Oh, no, not until you get out of my bed."

"Actually, Alvin." Simon said, his voice raspy but the certainty in it still strong. "That's my bed you're in. You're both in, I mean."

"It is?" Sure enough, the comforter covering both him and Gavin was blue and white checkered, and it seemed that Simon had claimed Alvin's bed. Alvin thought briefly about switching beds, but…"Oh, who cares. Just keep your hands to yourself, Gavin."

"You're one to talk. You woke me up twice last night trying to nibble on my ear."

Suddenly Alvin was wide-awake – still feeling like he had been run over by a truck, but awake. "I what?"

Gavin laughed. "Just kidding, Alvin. I just wanted to see the look on your face when you thought…oof!"

Alvin's foot kicked Gavin off the bed just as Theodore came in, his wheelchair tray laden with breakfast food. "Morning, guys!" He said cheerily.

"Fascinating observation." Simon said irritably as Gavin crawled back into bed. This time Alvin let him. "As if we couldn't already tell."

"Actually, it's three in the afternoon." Theodore said. "But I guess it's morning for all of you." He started to lie out food on the dressers. "I don't know if you'll be hungry, but I made breakfast. Also, I brought a lot…and I mean a lot…of water. And some aspirin."

That made all three Chipmunks vacate their beds quickly…mostly for the water and aspirin, but food didn't sound all that bad…. not all that good, but they definitely needed something in their stomachs.

"Thanks, Theodore." Simon said around a mouthful of eggs.

"No problem." Not exactly the truth. Theodore could get out of bed now by himself, and in fact preferred to do so, but it wasn't exactly easy. A series of metal bars had been erected above his bed – for some reason they always reminded Alvin of the monkey bars they had used at grade school – and to get out of bed and into his chair Theodore would have to reach up, swing himself with his arms several feet to his wheelchair, and then repeat the process in the bathroom to get himself cleaned up. Out in the community, he still needed assistance for most of those things, but at home he was nearly completely self-sufficient. His physical therapy for his arms had definitely paid off…if Arnold Schwartzenegger had challenged Theodore to an arm wrestling contest, Alvin would have put his money on Theodore.

Sometimes Alvin wondered if there could be anyone in the world that he admired more than his baby brother.

"What time is the rehearsal dinner?" Gavin asked suddenly, and Alvin groaned. He had forgotten all about it.

"Seven-thirty." Theodore grinned. "I think Dave remembers what bachelor parties are supposed to be like."

Theodore had been their designated driver last night as they had made the rounds of the Hollywood bars…for his twenty-first birthday they had all pitched in and bought him this hideously expensive adaptive van that he could drive entirely with his hands. Alvin didn't think he'd ever forget the look of joy on his brother's face when they had given him that freedom.

But that didn't make him resent him any less for being the only one without a hangover here.

"Will you wake me up in an hour, then?" Alvin said, downing the last of the water and heading back to Simon's bed – hey, it was closer. He didn't even object when Gavin climbed in next to him.

"I'll even give you an hour and a half." Theodore said generously, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Great." Simon said, climbing back into Alvin's bed. "Ouch!" He sat up quickly, looking under the covers quizzically. "Guys, uh…"

"What is it?" Alvin asked, his curiosity overcoming his desire to go back to sleep.

Simon pulled an orange plastic traffic cone out from under his covers. "Anyone remember where this came from?"

Gavin and Alvin looked at each other helplessly. "No." They said in unison. The three Chipmunks then glanced at Theodore.

Theodore held up his hands helplessly. "Hey, if you don't remember, I'm _certainly_ not gonna tell you." He grinned, cleaning up the remains of their breakfast and putting them on his wheelchair tray. "You know what they say…"

"A party's not complete unless you end up with a orange plastic traffic cone with you at the end of it."

**Then End of part 4**

**Reviews are as always, appreciated!!**

P.S.I will make a special commendation in my reviews to anyone who can identify where the orange plastic traffic cone comes from…hint – another of my favorite shows, but one I haven't wrote fanfic for…yet. (2nd hint...its a British television series...)


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 5**

"I do."

The judge looked at Simon and Jeannette, smiling. "Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Theodore smiled as he watched his older brother kiss his new wife exuberantly. The civil ceremony had been beautiful. Jeannette and Simon had written their own vows, and although the wedding had taken place their own backyard, it still seemed magical. The yard had been transformed into a wonderland, with garlands of pale roses streaming down the elegant white tents and lotus flowers adorning every inch that wasn't already covered with roses. Dangling white quartz crystals hanging from the ceiling of the tents almost gave the illusion they were in a palace made of ice. It was amazing – Theodore had no idea that Jeannette could have been so creative.

There was applause and Theodore wheeled himself through a field of bubbles as they finished the wedding procession. Jeannette had opted for individual bottles of bubbles to blow at the bride and groom instead of throwing rice. She claimed it was Brittany had threatened to kill her if she had to pick rice out of her hair after the ceremony – a comment that Brittany hadn't bothered denying. Beside him, Eleanor looked like a vision in her elegant powder-blue gown, her hair done up in an elaborate set of curls with sapphire pins in it. Ahead of him, Alvin and Brittany walked hand in hand, as did Gavin and Isabelle behind him, but Theodore couldn't wheel his chair and hold Eleanor's hand at the same time, so her hand simply rested on his shoulder.

The reception was going to be held in the same pavilion as the ceremony, and there was a flurry of activity as the catering staff removed the seats and began to set up the buffet. Theodore was busy with the rest of the Chipmunks taking the obligatory wedding photos while this was done.

"Just think," Theodore said to Eleanor as the photographer took Simon and Jeannette aside for some private photos. "Pretty soon we'll be doing this all again."

"We will?" Eleanor looked down at him in some surprise.

"Well, yeah." Theodore said. "Alvin and Brittany's wedding is in two months, remember?"

For some reason, Eleanor's face was sad. "Oh, yeah. No, I didn't forget."

Theodore frowned. Something had been going on with Eleanor for some time now…ever since Alvin and Brittany's premiere. She seemed withdrawn a lot, not to the point where most people would notice it, but Theodore knew her…there was something that was definitely bothering her. He had asked her about it a few times, but she had just dismissed it and said that she was just going to miss her sisters moving out after they got married. Simon and Jeannette had already bought a modest house not too far from the Sevilles, but Alvin and Brittany were still arguing over just what exactly they wanted. Both wanted to buy a mansion – hey, they could afford it, especially since their album had just gone double platinum – but finding one they could agree on had been nearly impossible. Theodore thought they'd still be arguing about it until they had to choose a retirement home.

"Hey, guys." Gavin said, coming over with Isabelle hand in hand. "Do you think they're done with us?"

"I'm not sure." Theodore said.

"I don't want to pose for one more bloody picture." Isabelle said irritably. Her hair was styled in the same manner as Eleanor's, but the blue jewels were almost lost in the azure color of her hair.

"I'm sure it's almost over." Gavin soothed his girlfriend. He looked over at Eleanor. "Hi, Eleanor. I haven't gotten to see you much lately – you keep bowing out of our double dates the last few months."

"Sorry." Eleanor apologized. "First year of law school, you know. I've been busy."

"I told you shouldn't have double-majored in business _and_ law." Isabelle pointed out. "You're burning yourself out."

"Its just law school now, Belle. You know I already graduated with my bachelors in business." Eleanor reminded her.

"Which means we should have a little more time for some double-dating again, Gavin." Theodore told them, glancing up at Eleanor for approval. "Right?"

"Sure." Eleanor promised, smiling. For some reason, Theodore didn't entirely believe that smile. "Sounds great."

"Wonderful." Gavin groaned. "Your brothers have been no fun to double-date with lately. They're so wrapped up in this wedding business they barely even notice we're there."

"Well, that's understandable." Eleanor said a little defensively.

"Yeah, but they're starting to get on _our_ case about getting married." Gavin said. "And Belle and I definitely aren't ready yet. If I even _mention_ the word 'propose'-"

Isabelle shuddered. "Blech."

Gavin gestured to her. "She does that." He looked at her sourly. "Its just great for my self-esteem."

"Oh, get over it, luv." Isabelle waved him off. "You know I adore you. I'm just not ready for that type of commitment."

"Same here." Theodore said.

Eleanor was silent. "Oh, look." She said after a moment. "The buffet tables are up. I'm going to go and get a plate."

Theodore looked at her. "But the pictures…"

"I think they're done, see?" It did seem as if the photographer was done with them.

"Oh, great, food!" Gavin grinned. "I'm starving!" He followed Eleanor.

Isabelle stayed behind a moment with Theodore. "Theodore, is everything okay with you and Eleanor? She's acting a little odd lately."

"I know. But she won't talk to me."

Isabelle thought about that a minute. "Well…Jeannette's going to be gone on her honeymoon, but have you thought about talking to Brittany? She might be able to give you some clues as to why Eleanor seems so down lately."

Honestly, that had never occurred to Theodore…Brittany was definitely one of his closest friends, but they had never really been the type of chums who had heart-to-hearts…"That's not a bad idea, Belle. Maybe I'll do that after Simon and Jeannette leave for their honeymoon." He smiled a little. "I don't want to bring any angst to the party."

"Good idea." Isabelle nodded towards the table. "So are we going to eat, or what?"

Theodore grinned. He was grateful that Isabelle had given him an idea on what to do about Eleanor, and hoped Brittany would be able to shed some light on the situation…but for now, there was a party to get to. "Race you to the buffet table."

OoooOoooO

"Okay, men." Dave ordered. "Over there." He held up his hand, gesturing to the garden to his right. "And only eligible men, remember. Polygamy is _not_ allowed in the state of California."

There was a scuffle as the young men gathered near the rosebushes. Alvin stood next to where Theodore's chair was, right up front, and reached down to whisper to his brother. "If the garter heads this way, you better catch it, 'cause we already know I'm doomed."

Theodore laughed a little. "I wonder what Brittany would say if she heard you referring to your engagement as you being 'doomed.'"

"Well, heh, you don't have to tell her I said that." Alvin said nervously.

There were only about a dozen young men there, as the wedding had been quite small, most of them friends of Simon's from medical school. "The odds are pretty good one of us is going to catch it." Gavin said aside to Theodore. "And _I _don't want it. Isabelle would probably have a heart attack."

"Geez, guys, calm down a little." Theodore grinned. "There are thirteen other guys here. Odds are we _aren't_ going to catch it."

"With my luck…" Gavin muttered.

Alvin couldn't help but laugh as Jeannette sat on the chair and lifted one leg daintily, allowing Simon access to remove the garter. He didn't know which one was redder, his brother or his new sister in law. "If they blush anymore they're going to black out from lack of blood to their brains." Alvin whispered.

Theodore and Gavin both chuckled. Simon slid the garter off Jeannette, and she gratefully dropped her dress back down. Alvin grinned as Simon turned to them.

"You guys ready?" He asked, holding the garter – blue silk and lace, no surprise there.

"Yes!" Someone shouted from behind them.

"Not in this lifetime." Gavin muttered.

Simon turned around. "Okay…one…two…three!" The garter sailed over his shoulder.

Alvin watched it coming down, and suddenly saw Gavin's hand shoot out and close over the silk and lace accessory. A look of horror came over his face. "Oh, no!" Gavin said. "It was reflexes, seriously! I didn't mean to catch it…"

Alvin put his arm around Gavin affectionately. "Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's doomed."

A look of panic rested in Gavin's eyes. "I didn't mean to catch it…did I ever tell you I played baseball all through high school? It was reflexes, honest!"

"I'm sure Belle will understand." Theodore teased. "I'm sure it wasn't that deep down, you really want to-"

"You finish that sentence, and you'll wake up tomorrow with no wheels on your chair." Gavin warned. Theodore just laughed at him.

"All right, ladies, time for the bouquet." Miss Miller ushered the young ladies to the opposite side of the garden. They seemed much more excited than the men had been. Alvin saw Theodore give Eleanor a little wave, who waved back from the front of the girls. For some reason, she was the only one not smiling. Isabelle just glared at Gavin, a murderous look in her eye. Beside him, Gavin giggled nervously. "Oh, boy, she's gonna kill me."

"Relax." Alvin said casually. "I know Belle. Her bark is worse than her bite."

Gavin looked at him, one eyebrow cocked. "Excuse me, but who's been dating her for four years? Trust me, her bite is pretty bad."

It was Alvin's turn to arch an eyebrow. "Oh really? And just how much biting is involved in your relationsh-"

"Okay, girls." Miss Miller hugged Jeannette and had her turn her back to the crowd. Alvin made a mental note to remember and ask Gavin later about that biting comment. "Here goes nothing!"

Jeannette threw the bouquet of lilies over her shoulder. It sailed high into the air, and suddenly Alvin grinned – it was heading directly for Eleanor. Yes! Maybe this would make his little brother start thinking about marriage, too, just like-

Alvin watched in disbelief as Eleanor stepped to one side quickly, taking herself out of the path of the bouquet. Instead it struck Isabelle in the chest, bouncing off her gently before she instinctively snatched it out of the air. "Ah hah!" Gavin said beside him. "She did it too!" He suddenly seemed to realize what that meant. "Oh, _crap."_

Alvin looked quickly down at Theodore. One look at his brother's stricken face made it clear that he had seen Eleanor's avoidance of the wedding bouquet just as well as he had.

Alvin didn't know what to say. Theodore just sat there, staring at the girls, while Eleanor seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Isabelle came running up to them, shaking the bouquet as if it were a stick she could beat Gavin with.

"This is all you're fault!" She yelled at him, hitting him with the bouquet and sending white lily petals flying. "If you hadn't caught the garter, I wouldn't have caught the bouquet, and we wouldn't have to get married now!"

"Belle, that makes absolutely no sense!" Gavin said. "I didn't _mean_ to catch the garter…and you're the one holding the wedding bouquet."

"We're doomed." Belle said, unknowingly echoing Alvin from earlier.

"Calm down, this isn't binding." Gavin looked at Alvin in fear. "Is it?"

Theodore was wheeling himself away. "I don't think so." Alvin said absently, not really paying attention to his friends. "I'll be right back."

He ran off after Theodore, catching up with him quickly. "Hey, Theodore. Theodore!"

"What?" Theodore stopped, and Alvin walked around to face him. "You okay?"

"Yes." Theodore didn't sound like it. In fact, he sounded anything but okay.

"You sure?"

"Yes." Theodore started away again. "I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I need to do it today."

"Do what?"

"I need to talk to Brittany." Theodore said cryptically.

Alvin watched his brother in confusion. Brittany?

Why on earth would he need to talk to Brittany?"

OoooOoooO

"Brittany, can I talk to you?"

Brittany looked at Theodore in surprise. "Sure, Theodore. What's up?"

Theodore paused, looking around at the guests who were still dancing. "In private, please."

Brittany frowned. "Sure, okay."

Theodore led Brittany to a secluded spot in the backyard before turning and facing her, his features grim. Brittany was starting to get concerned.

"Is something wrong, Theodore? You look worried."

"I don't know, Brittany. That's the problem." He hesitated. "Brittany…is Eleanor mad at me?"

"Mad at you?" Brittany was honestly confused. "No, not at all…"

"She's been acting odd for weeks now…I'm starting to wonder if I've done something to make her angry, or upset, or…I don't know. It's really weird. Things have been so good for so long…"

Suddenly Brittany remembered her conversation with Eleanor in the bathroom at Jeannette's bachelorette party. Her expression must have changed because suddenly Theodore's eyes widened. "You do know something, don't you."

"I-"

"Please, Brittany. I don't like to see Eleanor hurting. Please let me know what I can do to help."

Brittany raised her hands helplessly. "She's just scared, Theodore. I think it was Jeannette and my engagements that did it…but she's scared of the future. She says you never want to talk about it, and that…" Brittany didn't exactly know what to say about the sex part of the talk. "I think she's just going through a rough time, trying to decide which direction her life is taking."

"Which direction her life is taking." Theodore said flatly. "You mean, whether or not she wants to continue in my direction or take another one."

"No!" Brittany said frantically. "She loves you, Theodore, and she'd never leave you. She just needs time to sort some stuff out, I think. But don't everthink she'd leave you." Brittany put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Just be patient, Theodore. She'll get through this. She'll need your help, but you're just going to have to wait until she's ready to accept it.

Theodore was quiet. "Thank you, Brittany." He said softly after a moment, and began to wheel himself away.

"Are you okay, Theodore?" The look in his eyes as he had left her was totally dejected. That scared her a little.

"Fine." Theodore replied. "And don't worry…I know what I need to do to help Eleanor."

"You do?"

"Yes." Theodore said. "I know exactly what I need to do to help her."

**End of part 5**

**Reviews really loved and appreciated and looked forward to…**


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this update has been a few days late – my sister and I had a girl's weekend and I was away from writing and even my 'puter for a couple days. But the regular updates will continue!

M L Europe- thanks for reviewing (especially since you don't like to!) It means a lot when I get feedback and really encourages me to continue.

Ditto for Royboy – thanks for the email!

And of course, thanks to Raven Child who had been quickly becoming a fun penpal.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 6**

"Did that really just happen?"

"I think so, Brittany." Alvin said in awe.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked. "Because I would really hate to think that it did, only to find out later it was all just a mistake."

"No, it happened." Alvin said. "We finally picked out a house."

"I can't believe it." Brittany shivered. "I thought it would never happen."

"Me neither." Alvin had honestly believed that. Whenever they would go house hunting, _one_ of them would always find _something _wrong with it. The bathrooms were too small. The pool was too big. The master bedroom didn't have a good enough view. Having virtually unlimited choices didn't make it any easier – it was nice not having to worry about price, but the ability to limit themselves had never been either of Brittany or Alvin's strong points. But they had finally chosen one.

"Did you want to grab some dinner before we go home?" Alvin asked Brittany.

"That's a good idea. I'm starving." Brittany smiled at him. "Hey, why don't we try catching Theodore and Eleanor? They're doubling with Gavin and Belle tonight."

"Great idea." Alvin tossed her his cell phone as he turned a corner in the car. "Call my house, that's where they're meeting. I can't wait to tell them about our new home."

He really couldn't. He and Brittany had chosen a house that while yes, probably would be considered a mansion, was both tasteful and manageable. The pool that they had both required was there, a whimsical creation was oddly shaped to resemble a natural formation and had an actual waterfall built into it. There were eight bedrooms, which Alvin had thought a little excessive, until Brittany reminded him that eventually they would have nieces and nephews to spoil and they wanted to make sure they had a place to stay. "Plus, think of the party potential," she had reminded him, and he had been sold. Best of all, while it was huge and would definitely need some staff to help them upkeep it, it wouldn't need an employee complement the size of Prince Charles' to keep it nice. Alvin didn't mind the fact that Brittany wanted housekeeping staff – had in fact been glad, since housework of any kind made him shiver in fear – but he hadn't wanted to have people underfoot day in and day out.

Especially being home with a new bride.

"No one's answering. I just keep getting voicemail." Brittany said.

That was odd. Someone should be home, and even if they were already on the phone, the Sevilles did have call waiting. "Leave a message, then. Tell we're on our way back to the house or tell them to call the cell phone so we can meet them if they need to leave."

"Okay." Brittany redialed and left the message. She hung up the phone and looked at Alvin curiously. "Hey, Alvin, speaking of Theodore…has he been upset lately?"

Alvin frowned. "Not that I've noticed…but you have to admit, we've all been pretty busy. Its almost a relief to have Simon's wedding over with."

"Don't forget we still have a lot to do for our own wedding." Brittany warned him.

Alvin groaned. That was the understatement of the year. Brittany seemed to want to outdo any Hollywood wedding there had even been, and the price tag that was accompanying theirs was frightening even him, who cared very little about such things. "No, I didn't forget, trust me."

"Good." Brittany said. She was quiet a moment.

Alvin thought about her earlier comment, and Theodore's strange behavior at Simon's wedding. "Actually, though, Brittany, Theodore has been acting a little strangely the last few days…ever since Simon and Jeannette's wedding."

"He has?"

"Yes." Alvin stopped at a stop sign, did a cursory check, and continued. "He said he needed to talk to you…but neither him nor you mentioned it again."

"Oh, yeah." Brittany suddenly seemed evasive, which made Alvin definitely think that something was going on.

"What did you talk about?" He asked.

The silence that greeted him wasn't encouraging. "Brittany?"  
"I'm thinking." She said. "Eleanor told me some things in confidence, so I don't know how much I should say…"

"Eleanor?" Alvin was confused a moment. "But we were talking about Theodore…oh, no, they're not having problems, are they?"

"I hope not." Brittany said fervently. "But I think all the weddings recently are getting Eleanor a little scared about the future. Theodore's been noticing her behavior – she's been really withdrawn lately – and he just wanted to ask me if she was mad at him. I told him of course not, that she was just going through a hard time and he needed to be patient."

"Oh." Alvin said. "Do _you _think their relationship is in trouble?"

Brittany hesitated. "I honestly don't know, Alvin. I'm worried, I know that. Theodore said something kind of weird when our conversation ended the other day. It was a really short conversation, but still… it was a strange comment."

Alvin was really starting to get concerned now. "What did he say?"

"I told him that he would just have to wait for her to be ready to accept his help, and he told me not to worry…that he knew exactly what he needed to do to help her."

Alvin thought of his selfless younger brother and a germ of fear grew in him. "Did he say anything else?"

"No, he just left." Brittany looked at him oddly. "Why?"

"Just a hunch, Brittany…" Alvin speeded up a little. "Why don't you try calling the house again? What time were they supposed to leave?"

Brittany glanced at he watch. "Just about now…why?"

"Like I said, a hunch. Call. Tell them to wait for us."

The urgency in Alvin's voice made Brittany do so without hesitation. "Still no answer…"

Alvin drove faster.

OoooOoooO

"You're not canceling again, are you?"

Theodore winced at the irritation in Gavin's voice, ignoring the beeping the call waiting was making. He had to finish this call. "I'm sorry, Gavin. There's just some stuff I really have to take care of."

"Can't you do it later?"

Theodore closed his eyes. How he wished he could put this off, even for one more day. "No, Gavin. I've waited far too long already."

The irritation in Gavin's voice gave way to anger. "Fine. Give me a call the next time you feel like doing something. _Maybe_ I'll be able to find the time to do something…unless something comes up, of course." He hung up.

Theodore sighed as he replaced the phone in its cradle. Gavin had a right to be angry. He and Eleanor had canceled every date with their friends for the last two months…usually, like now, at last minute. But he couldn't put this off any longer. Brittany's conversation with him several days ago had clinched it…and this was going to be the best time to do it. Alvin wouldn't be back from house-hunting with Brittany for another few hours, he was sure, Dave was at work, and Simon had left for his honeymoon yesterday.

It would be the only time for the next few days that he would have alone with Eleanor…and besides, he didn't know if he would be able to have the courage to do this if he didn't do it now.

The doorbell rang, and Theodore took a deep breath. This was it. He wheeled himself to the door and opened it.

"Hi, Theodore." Eleanor came in and gave him quick kiss that he savored more than she knew. "Gavin and Belle here yet?"

"No." Theodore said, closing the door behind her. "They're not coming."

Eleanor frowned. "Why on earth not?"

"Because I asked them not to." Theodore told her.

"Theodore, why would you do that?" Eleanor scolded him. "They're already annoyed that we keep canceling. And they've been so looking forward to this."

"I know, I know, but we've had so little time together lately…alone…"Theodore trailed off.

"Still, Theodore, we could have planned some alone time later." Theodore didn't mention that every time he had tried to do so, she had come up with some excuse to either study, invite his brothers or sisters along, or keep the date so short that they barely had time to say hello, let alone talk. "You should have asked me."

"I know, I'm sorry."

Eleanor sat on the couch. "So what's the plan then? Are we going to dinner alone?"  
"Actually, I thought we'd stay in tonight." Theodore said.

"Oh." Eleanor seemed a little sad. "I really wanted to go out tonight. You sure you don't want to call Gavin and Belle back and-"

"No." Theodore interrupted. "Actually…I wanted to talk."

Suddenly Eleanor seemed uncomfortable. "Talk? About what?"

"Well…about us." Theodore took a deep breath. "I've notice you seem, well, a little distant lately. Is anything wrong?"

Eleanor averted her eyes. "Theodore we've already talked about this. I'm just already missing my sisters. It's going to be lonely at home without them."

"They'll be in town, still, near enough to see them every day if you want to." Theodore automatically reassured her.

"I know, but it's not the same…"

Theodore nodded "I know." He hesitated, afraid to continue. But he had to…for Eleanor's sake. "But Eleanor…I need to know…is anything else wrong?"

"Of course not." Eleanor said a little took quickly.

"Because like I said, you've been distant lately…" This was the part that was going to be hard. "And I know I haven't been too much help for you lately."

"Oh, no, Theodore, you've been great." Eleanor said, taking his hand. "Really. It's just me. I'm so tired all the time, with school, and the weddings. Don't think it's your fault."

But it was his fault…and he knew it. He pulled his hand away from her, wishing he could pull her to him instead. "No, Eleanor. I've been feeling it too."

Eleanor frowned. "Feeling what?"

This was where he was going to have to lie. He only hoped he could do it convincingly. "Feeling that we've been growing apart the last months."

"Growing apart?" Eleanor sounded worried now. "Theodore, I know I've been a little distant lately, but I still love you. Its just that I've got a lot on my mind, and I'm trying to work through it."

_She'd never leave you. She loves you._ Brittany's words echoed in his mind. _She loves you._

He loved her, too. That's why he had to find the strength to go through with this.

"Theodore?" There was a note of panic in Eleanor's voice at his silence. "What's going on? What's this all about?"

He _had _to do this._ She loves you._ He couldn't allow her to condemn herself. _She'd never leave you_.

"I've been thinking a lot too, lately. About us, Eleanor. It feels like we've been drifting away from each other for months."

Eleanor shook her head. "Theodore, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean-"

Theodore didn't like to keep interrupting her, but if he didn't he wasn't sure he could go on. "It's not just you, Eleanor. It's me, too."

"Theodore, what are you saying?" Eleanor had tears in her voice.

"I've been thinking…"Theodore steeled himself. "That maybe we should try spending a little time apart."

"Time apart?" Eleanor reached for his hand again but he pulled away. He didn't think he could continue if he could feel her soft hand against his again – or keep his own tears from falling. "What is it that you're saying exactly?"

"I'm saying we shouldn't see each other for a while." Theodore said, amazed at the own conviction he was able to fake in his voice.

Eleanor was crying openly now. "But…why?"

It took every bit of performance talent he had to be able to continue. "Come on, Eleanor. You know it as well as I do. We don't spend any time together anymore…and when we do, neither of us seems to be, well, really there. You don't seem happy anymore…" and here he had to lie again…"And neither am I."

"I'm sorry, Theodore, really."

"It's not you're fault."_ It's mine_. "These things happen. Sometimes it feels as if we're still together because we feel we have to be…not because we should be."

"But-" The phone started ringing. They both ignored it. "We can work this out," Eleanor said, "I still love you, Theodore. Don't you still love me?"

And now for the biggest lie of all. "I don't want to hurt you, Eleanor…but, no, I'm not sure I do anymore."

Theodore felt his heart would break. "So...so…you're breaking up with me? After all this time?"

Theodore closed his eyes, hoping she couldn't see the tears growing in them. "Its for the best, Eleanor. We can't keep pretending forever."

"I've never pretended, Theodore." Eleanor stood. "Never."

Theodore opened his eyes, and forced himself to hurt her again. "I wish I could believe that, Eleanor."

Eleanor looked at him for a moment, staring in disbelief at him, before her emotions completely overtook her and she ran to the door, crying. As the door slammed behind her, Theodore finally let his own tears fall, feeling as if a part of him had died.

It was for the best. It was.

That's how Alvin and Brittany found him, weeping in his chair next to the couch, only a few minutes after Eleanor had ran from the room.

"Theodore?" Alvin's voice was frantic. "Theodore, what's wrong?"

It took a moment for Theodore to compose himself. "Eleanor and I just broke up."

Brittany gasped. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" Theodore said angrily through his tears. "She's free, now. Just leave me alone."

He wheeled himself to his room, not wanting their company or anyone else's. He had done what had needed to be done, but his life would never be able to be the same now. But Eleanor's would be better.

That….that was all that mattered

**End of Part 6**

**As always and forever, reviews appreciated. Hugs to all!**


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

And BTW, a big thanks to RavenChild, a very talented writer and artist who recently honored me with some illustrations for this story. Any chipmunk fan should check out her stuff!!!

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 7**

"As much as I loved touring Egypt, its good to be home."

Simon nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving the road. "I know how you feel. I just wish that they would have had our house ready by now."

"Its just a few more days, Simon. I don't mind staying in the spare room at Dave's for a few days." Jeannette assured him. "Besides, I'm sure it will be nice for you to spend some time with your brothers. And I miss Eleanor and Brittany, too."

"You're right." Simon grinned. "You just can't wait to give them their souvenirs."

'Souvenir' was hardly the word for what Jeannette had bought her sisters. 'Ancient treasures' would have been more appropriate. Brittany had thought Jeannette and Simon were crazy when they had said they were going to be going on an archaeological tour of the Egyptian pyramids for their honeymoon, but Simon thought the vain Chippette would change her tune when she saw the priceless gold and ruby necklace her sister had found for her. Rumor had it that it had once been worn by Cleopatra and given to one of her favorite ladies before it had found its way several thousand years down the line to the antiques' dealer that had sold it them. Eleanor's gift was just as opulent, if not so ornate. Jeannette had found a beautiful tapestry that would complement Eleanor's taste perfectly.

Simon hadn't been quite so fixated on gifts for his brothers. But he thought that Alvin and Theodore would appreciate his souvenirs just the same.

"Simon?" Jeannette asked hesitantly as he turned into their neighborhood. "Actually…would you mind dropping me at Miss Miller's for a little while? We can unpack later, and I actually would really like to see my sisters for a little while."

"Of course." Actually, Simon had been kind of thinking the same thing…it would be nice to be able to talk to Alvin and Theodore about his honeymoon, just man to man…at least for a few hours. Then he'd want his bride back, he was sure. "No problem."

"Thanks." Jeannette kissed him as they pulled into Miss Miller's driveway. "I'll call you in a few hours."

"Okay." Jeannette started to get out of the car, but Simon pulled her back. "Oh, and one more thing…make sure to tell Brittany thanks for your bachelorette gift."

Jeannette blushed. "Uh, sure."

"And on the off chance that Belle's there…tell her that if Gavin and her ever get married, I'm going to get Gavin something way worse than a pair of blue fuzzy handcuffs."

His wife's blush deepened. "Uh, okay. No problem."

Simon kissed her one last time before letting her go and pulling out of her driveway. He grinned as he drove the short block back to the Seville house. The last two weeks had been the most amazing of his life…and it was just the beginning. Nothing could ruin this day. He couldn't wait to talk to Alvin and Theodore and give them all the details.

Simon parked in front of the house and got out of the car quickly, grabbing a few suitcases and heading for the door. "Hey, anyone here?" He called as he dropped the suitcases by the door. "I'm home! And I could use some help!"

There was no answer. Simon frowned. Alvin's car was out front, and so was Theodore's van. Dave should be at work right now, so his brothers should have been home. "Guys?" He called, walking into the living room and leaving the cases behind him. There was a light underneath the door to Theodore and Alvin's bedroom, and Simon smiled. Theodore must be resting. He started to head to the door.

Suddenly a pounding on the stairs made him pause, and he turned to see Alvin running down the stairs at top speed in nothing but a towel and dripping wet. "Simon! You're home early!"

"Our flight got in a little early." Simon raised an eyebrow. "And I'm glad to see you too, but you could have waited until you dried yourself off before coming to say hello."

Alvin looked down at himself dripping all over the rug. "Oh, yeah."

"Why don't you go get dressed, and I'll tell you and Theodore all about our trip. It was amazing." Simon headed for the bedroom door again. Alvin rushed in front of him.

"You don't want to go in there right now, Simon." Alvin said. "Not until we've talked."

Simon gave him a dubious look. "Talked about what?"

"A lot has happened the last two weeks. Please. Just let me get dressed, and I'll fill you in. Wait here." Alvin bounded up the stairs. "I'll be two minutes…just wait!"

Simon shook his head in irritation. He wasn't going to delay saying hi to Theodore because Alvin seemed to be in a snit about something. Instead he walked over to the door and knocked briefly, grabbing the door handle automatically to open it. He didn't have the chance.

"Alvin, I told you to _go away!"_ He heard Theodore shout from the other side of the door.

Whoa. Simon wondered what Alvin had done that had made Theodore so angry. "It's Simon, Theodore." He called through the door before walking in. _He_ wasn't the one Theodore was angry with.

Theodore sat in his chair by the window, staring out of it. He had a photo album on his lap. Simon recognized it – it was the one the Chippettes had made for them for Christmas last year. It contained an entire lifetime of memories of the Chipmunks…photos dating from when they were babies to their college graduation pictures. "Hey, Theodore, don't I even get a hello?"

"Hello." Theodore said, not turning from the window. He didn't even glance towards his older brother. "How was your trip?"

"Fantastic." Simon felt something was definitely wrong here. "We actually got to tour a newly opened tomb, and saw a mummy preserved in its natural environment-"

"That's nice." Theodore said in that same dead voice. "Sounds like you had fun."

"Yes, we did." Simon was beginning to get worried. "Theodore, are you okay? You seem a little…depressed, I guess."

"I'm fine." Theodore still didn't face him. "I'm just tired. Could we talk later? Like I told Alvin earlier, I feel like being alone right now."

"But I just got home…and I only have a few hours before Jeannette gets back. I thought we could have some brother time." Simon protested.

"Not _now._" Simon almost gasped at the irritation in Theodore's voice. His brother had never had much of a temper, but he certainly seemed irritable enough right now. "I said that I wanted to be alone. Please, Simon, can you respect that?"

"Of course, Theodore." Simon backed out of the room, shutting the door. He hadn't seen Theodore so despondent since after the accident when they had broken the news of just how bad it was for him. What on earth was going on?

"Alvin!" He shouted as he ran up the stairs. "Alvin, are you dressed yet?"

Alvin came out of the spare bedroom – the one Jeannette and he were supposed to be using – just fixing his cap on his head. He took one look at Simon's face and seemed to know how Simon felt. "Oh, no. You went in there, didn't you."

"I just went in to say hi…what on earth is going on? What's wrong with him?"

Alvin sighed heavily. "He and Eleanor broke up."

Nothing could have prepared Simon for that. _"What?"_

"You heard me."

"But…why?" Simon felt as if the earth had fallen out from beneath his feet. "They've been together for years…and they always seemed so happy."

Alvin held up his hands helplessly. "I don't know, Simon. Brittany says that Eleanor told her Theodore just felt they were growing apart, and I can't get Theodore to even speak to me. He just sits in that bedroom all day, looking at that damn photo album. Its like he's a different person. Dave's at a loss…Theodore's twenty-three, there's not much he can do." Alvin looked around the room, and for the first time Simon realized that most of Alvin's things were now back in their old bedroom. "He even asked me to move out of our room. So I guess it's on the sofa bed for me while you and Jeannette stay here."

Simon sat on the bed next to Alvin. "I just don't understand…why would Theodore leave Eleanor? _Everyone_ knows how much he loves her."

"Don't ask him that, Simon." Alvin warned, and the tone of his voice made Simon think that Alvin had first hand knowledge of just why that would be a bad idea. "Trust me…he won't tell you, and he just about bit my head off when I asked why he left her."

"When did this happen?" Simon asked. "How long has he been like this?"

"The day after you left for Egypt." Alvin answered. "Brittany and I came back from house-hunting and found him crying in the living room. That's the last I've seen of any other emotion from him other than anger or total apathy. Honestly, I'm getting scared for him."

"I've been home five minutes and I'm scared for him." Simon said.

There was quiet for a few minutes. "On the up side, Brittany and I bought a house." Alvin offered inadequately.

"Oh." Simon said, not quite sure what to say. "That's nice."

"Yeah. You'll like it."

"I'm sure I will." Simon shook his head as if to clear it. "No, Alvin, I am not going to talk about your new house while our little brother is downstairs depressed out of his mind. I've got to talk to him."

Alvin shook his head. "I really wouldn't recommend it. Trust me, he's not himself."

"Maybe he just needs a different person to talk to." Simon said hopefully.

Alvin shrugged. "It's your funeral."

Despite Alvin's grim warning, Simon went downstairs with determination. Theodore and he had always been able to talk to each other, and he had every reason to believe that he could get his brother to open up to him.

He didn't bother knocking. Until he officially moved out, it was still his room too. "Theodore, I really need to talk to you."

Theodore was just in the process of getting himself into his bed, and dropped from the support bars above his bed onto the mattress so that his useless legs hung over the side and he sat on the edge of the bed. "I asked you to leave me alone, Simon."

"I know, but I can't stand to see you like this…please, talk to me."

Theodore looked at him angrily. "See me like what? Crippled? Useless? Like what?"

Simon actually took a step back at the heat in Theodore's voice. "You know that's not what I meant. I meant I hate seeing you so depressed…and it will help if you talk about what happened. Alvin told me you broke up with Eleanor."

"I'm sure he did." Theodore said bitterly. "Its all he ever wants to talk about."

Simon felt as if he didn't know the chipmunk in front of him. "He's worried about you, Theodore…and frankly, so am I. We just want to help."

"I don't want any help, Simon. I don't want to talk. I don't want to have a heart-to-heart with you or Alvin about why I left Eleanor. I don't even want to think about it. I just want…to…be…left…alone." Theodore slid a little on the bed, and he grabbed the bars above him and pulled himself back. "And if you can't tell, I was trying to lie down, so if you'd please leave I'm going to rest. That's what us invalids do, you know, is rest. We rest a lot. So we need to have a lot of peace and quiet and nobody bothering us all the time."

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked incredulously. He'd never heard Theodore talk about his condition in this way, even when he had been on the feeding tube and his right arm had been almost completely useless. "You've come so far, Theodore. Its amazing how much you've been able to accomplish, considering-"

"Considering I'm a Reader's Digest inspirational story now, right?" Theodore said hotly. "Oh look, the poor young star who overcame so much and is still full of life. Look at him, adversity overcome by sheer will and determination and now he's so grateful for what he does have, a loving family, great friends, and the will to keep fighting." Theodore glared at him through his green-tinted glasses. "Well, you know what? This isn't adversity overcome. This isn't some story where the poor cripple is the hero because he doesn't let it bring him down. This is reality, Simon, and the reality is that I will always be half a chipmunk, half a man, and I'll never be able to overcome that fact." He pointed to his wheelchair. "I'll never overcome the need for that, or the fact that it's nothing more than a chain to which I'll always be bound." Theodore grabbed the support rails above him, and before Simon could do anything to stop him, had swung himself up and towards the wheelchair at such a speed that his legs struck the chair, knocking it over and cutting both Theodore's knees in the process. "I hate that thing!"

"Theodore!" Simon rushed up to him as Theodore dropped back to the bed.

"Don't worry, Simon." Theodore laughed harshly. "I can't feel it."

"I need to clean those up." Simon said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He couldn't believe this was his brother. "You banged yourself up pretty good…I don't think you'll need stitches, but I definitely need to bandage them."

Theodore swung himself so he was lying on the bed. "If you feel like you have to. I'll be here." He looked at the chair lying on its side and laughed that same frighteningly bitter laugh. "Doesn't look like I'm going anywhere right now, does it?"

Simon left the room quickly, shutting the door behind him. He turned to see Alvin standing there, his face somber. "I warned you, Simon." He said.

"My god, Alvin." Simon couldn't keep his voice from trembling any further. "How could he…what in the world…" he couldn't even find words.

Alvin didn't seem to need them. "I know how you feel."

"He's a totally different person…how could this happen in the last two weeks?"

Alvin looked at him helplessly. "I wish I knew. I don't know what to do…neither does Dave. Its as if all this bitterness about the accident just suddenly overcame him." Simon could hear the guilt in Alvin's voice. He knew that some part of Alvin still blamed himself for Theodore's accident.

Simon put a comforting hand on Alvin's shoulder. "We'll figure something out, Alvin. Right now, I need to bandage Theodore's knees."

"Bandage his knees?" Alvin looked at him questioningly.

"He swung himself over and knocked over his wheelchair. His knees were pretty cut up in the process."

"Ah." The most frightening thing of all is that Alvin didn't even seem surprised. "Okay. I'll go get you the first aid kit."

When he had the kit in hand, Simon reentered Theodore's room cautiously, this time knocking as he entered. "Theodore?"

"Come in, Simon."

Simon did so. There was blood on the bed sheets from the cuts, but it wasn't too bad. "Hi, Theodore. I just want to bandage those knees, and then I'll let you have some time alone."

"All right." The anger seemed to be gone from Theodore's voice, leaving it with no emotion in it whatsoever. Simon almost preferred the anger. At least then Theodore had sounded alive. "Would you mind putting my wheelchair upright again, in case I want to get up?"

"Of course." Simon quickly righted the chair.

"Thank you." Theodore was silent as Simon cleaned the wounds with alcohol and bandaged the cuts. "There." He said when he was done. "We got you fixed right up."

Theodore smiled a little, but there was no humor in it. "I wish it were that easy to fix me up, Simon. But thank you." He paused. "And…I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's okay."

"I'm glad you had fun on your trip, Simon. Really. You and Jeannette deserved it." Theodore pulled himself over so he was lying on his side. "Bye, Simon."

Simon knew that that was his cue to leave. He briefly considered offering to help changing the bloodstained sheets, but was afraid that after Theodore's dismissal he would be treated to another outburst and didn't think he could handle it.

Alvin was waiting on the couch when he left. "It's been a bad day today, Simon." He offered. "He's not always this bad. But Brittany was over earlier…we still have some last minute things to work out about the wedding…and that really seemed to set him off. Its really not always this bad."

"It shouldn't ever be this bad." All his life Simon had felt responsible for his younger brothers. It didn't matter that they were young adults now, he still felt the weight of that responsibility. _I wish it were that easy to fix me up._ It wouldn't be easy to help Theodore with this…but Simon couldn't not try. And he knew that there was a way…a remote possibility, but one nonetheless, that he might be able to help him. "I need to make a phone call."

Alvin looked at him quizzically, but Simon's mind was otherwise engaged. He went to the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing the hospital's number from memory. Switchboard answered.

"How may I direct your call?"

"Dr. Quentin Pryce's office, please." Simon said. He knew Jeannette would disapprove, but Dr. Pryce was actually working on practical theories that could someday maybe help Theodore…and Jeannette's dislike of the doctor didn't change that. With Simon's help, maybe that day could come sooner.

He didn't expect to get Dr. Pryce, but he did. "Pryce here. Can I help you?"

"Dr. Pryce, this is Simon Seville."

"Simon! I didn't know you would be back from your honeymoon already." Dr. Pryce sounded glad to hear from him.

"I just got back today." Simon said.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Fine." Simon didn't want to muddle through the small talk. "Dr. Pryce, I was actually calling for work reasons."

"Oh?" Dr. Pryce sounded interested. "And that is?"

Simon hesitated. Jeannette's words sounded in his head. _I just don't trust a doctor who is only thirty-four and already has been accused of unethical practices._ "I was wondering if that research position was still open."

"Why yes, yes it is." Dr. Pryce's voice said cautiously.

Simon breathed deep. "I'd like the position, then, if it's still available to me."

"Of course it is." Dr. Pryce assured him over the phone. "Although, honestly, I had given up on you taking it on."

Simon thought of the dead look in Theodore's eyes. "Well, I've had a bit of an eye-opening experience, and I've decided I can't let this opportunity pass me by."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that." Dr. Pryce told him. "I'll work out the details with the administration and Dr. Thomas and contact you about your new schedule."

"Thank you, I'd like that." Simon said.

Simon could almost see Dr. Pryce smiling over the phone.

"Welcome to the team, Dr. Seville." Pryce said.

**End of part 7**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

To specific people:

Thanks, Stacey, for reviewing so often. I appreciate the updates a whole lot. Ditto for SilverRider and Atomos. You guys rock!

And special thanks, again, to RavenChild.

Plus…Thanks to all who have encouraged me to write this. I will have to say, this story is really helping me hone my writing skills and I love the fact that so many of you are enjoying the story.

This one, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 8**

"How's Eleanor doing?"

Jeannette hesitated. "She's baking."

Simon frowned. "Baking?"

Jeannette nodded from beside him in bed. The alarm clock next to the bed said 11:02 and the house was silent. Jeannette had gotten home only a short time ago, despite their earlier intentions to reunite sooner, and this was the first chance they had gotten to talk. Jeannette had gotten the chance to say goodnight to Alvin before he bedded down on the sofa bed, but hadn't seen Theodore…and from what Simon had just described his brother's behavior as, was glad for that. "Not just baking…_baking_ baking."

"I still don't get it." Simon said. They sat apart in the bed, each propped up against their pillows, and he turned to her now. "What does _baking_ have to do with anything?"

Jeannette sighed. "Ever since we were little, when Eleanor would get upset, she would bake something while she thought it over. You know how logical-minded she can be. It was her way of focusing on something in order to allow herself to look at a problem more clinically. She almost never ate what she would make, so you could tell how bad the problem was by how many pies or muffins or whatever would suddenly come out of the kitchen."

"And she's baking now?"

"According to Brittany, she's been baking nonstop for two weeks. She's started to donate pies to the local food shelters because none of the neighbors will take anything more from her. Brittany's in a panic because she's gained five pounds in the last two weeks and now she's worried she won't fit into her wedding dress, but she just can't say no to Eleanor. If something doesn't happen soon, Hollywood is going to be flooded with blackberry pies and blueberry muffins."

"Oh." Simon seemed a little nonplussed, but to Jeannette her sister's behavior was just as worrisome to her as Theodore's earlier behavior had been to him. Eleanor had barely said two words to her, other than "Do we have any more real vanilla? I don't like using the imitation." Brittany had filled her in on the situation with Eleanor and Theodore, but Eleanor had refused to speak of it to her. Her only words on the subject had been. "I'm working it out, Jeannette, now could you please pass me the butter?"

"I just can't believe that this happened." Jeannette said now, shaking her head. "I would have never guessed it in a million years."

"Me, neither." Simon said. There was a moment of silence, and Jeannette snuggled against him, suddenly feeling the need to be close. "I think I might have figured out why it happened, though."

Jeannette looked up quickly from his chest. "You have? Why?"

"I asked Alvin if Theodore had said anything to him after Brittany and he got home that day. You know me…I need all the data I can get my hands on before analyzing a problem, and this is definitely a problem."

"No argument here." Jeannette agreed.

"Well, most of their conversations the last few weeks have either been very short or very angry, and not of much use…but that day, when Brittany asked him why he had done it, he had yelled at her and said 'Does it matter? She's free, now.'"

"She's free now?" Jeannette repeated.

Simon nodded. "That, combined with this sudden anger and bitterness over his condition, makes sense only if you come to one conclusion."

Jeannette saw it right away. "He did it because he thought he was saving her."

"That's what I think." Simon shook his head. "I've been so tied up in what was happening with us that I didn't see how it was affecting everyone else. According to Brittany – now this is filtered through Alvin, so hopefully its accurate – Eleanor's been worried about the future lately a lot…about how she and Theodore were going to handle the same things we are – marriage, children…sex… with the difficulties they would have that we wouldn't. She didn't want to leave Theodore, she just needed time to work stuff out."

"That's exactly how Eleanor is." Jeannette said. "She does need to work things out in her head herself before she'll involve others. She can be very single-minded that way."

"Well, Theodore isn't." Simon reminded her. "Theodore almost always thinks with his heart, not his head."

Jeannette looked at him doubtfully. "But don't you think by now he would have known how she deals with things?"

Simon shook his head. "Remember what I just said? His heart, not his head. And I don't think that this newfound hatred for his wheelchair or his paralyzation is _entirely_ new. He's always been so…strong about it…at least, that's what I thought. He never went through much of the self-pitying stage. Most people who have disabilities like his go through classic stages…disbelief, depression, self-pity and self-hatred, anger, and eventually acceptance. He seemed to accept things right away. I think now he's never really dealt with his anger over what happened to him." Simon raised his hands helplessly. "I don't know why he never did, but he didn't."

"I know why." Jeannette said. "Eleanor. Eleanor's been there from the beginning, and she's never before wavered in her affections for him. She's never treated him any differently, either. I'm not a doctor, or a psychotherapist – I'm a chemist, for crying out loud – but I think she might have been the anchor that's been holding him all these years."

"I think you're right, Jeannette." It was giving a lot of credit to Eleanor for him to say that. "Maybe he feels like he just gave up his last chance to have a normal life…to make sure that Eleanor could have one."

"The question is, what are we going to do about it?" Jeannette asked. "We can't just leave things this way. They're both miserable. And if our theory's correct, then no matter what we do or say Theodore isn't going to change his mind. He only would have done what he did if he felt there was no other choice."

The silence that greeted her was heavy, and Jeannette knew Simon well enough to know that there was something he wasn't telling her. "Simon?"

"I…I already did something. Nothing that will fix this right away, but…" He trailed off.

"Simon, what did you do?" Jeannette sat up, pushing away from him. He wasn't normally so evasive.

"I called the hospital today." Simon said slowly.

"Why?" Jeannette furrowed her brow. "I thought you had two more days before you had to go back."

"I still do." Simon assured her. "But…I called Dr. Pryce."

Jeannette felt her heart sink. "Oh, Simon, you didn't accept that research position, did you?" His silence was answer enough. "Simon, I thought we had decided-"

"I know, Jeannette." Simon interrupted her guiltily. "But seeing Theodore today…Dr. Pryce is actually working on techniques that could help him walk again someday. What if my ideas can help that along? What if I can somehow be able to help Theodore _have_ that normal life he thinks is impossible for him?"

"That's putting an awful lot of responsibility on your shoulders for what could be a pipe dream." Jeannette told him.

"Thanks for your confidence in me." Simon said sourly.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Jeannette scolded. "Dr. Pryce might be working on ways that could help Theodore, but there's no guarantee that it'll ever come to fruition, and I'm afraid…" she didn't finish right away.

"Afraid of what?"

"Dr. Pryce nearly lost his license not too long ago." Jeannette reminded him. "Do you want to risk losing yours?"

"I know you don't like the man, Jeannette, but the _charges were dropped._ Malpractice suits are common nowadays – everyone is sue-happy when things don't go their way." He kissed her gently on the forehead to soften his words. "And besides, if there _were_ something going on that I had moral or ethical problems with, don't you think I would leave in a second?"

_Not if you thought it might help Theodore._ The thought came unbidden into Jeannette's mind, but she banished it quickly. She wasn't going to start doubting her husband so soon. "Of course you would…but that doesn't make me like the man any more."

"You don't have to like him." Simon said. "You just have to accept that I'll be working with him…and I'm still mentoring under Dr. Thomas half the time." He grimaced a little. "I'll be working more hours, but I really need to do this."

"If you feel so strongly about it, I'll support you." Jeannette offered. "But we already see each other so little…"

"We'll just have to make the time we have count…all the time." Simon looked at his new wife and pulled her to him. "We knew this was going to be rough during my residency. It always is, for any resident doctor. But we'll make it through."

"I know." Jeannette said, looking up at her husband and recognizing the look in his eyes. She'd seen it every night since their wedding night. "We will, won't we."

He kissed her, long and gentle. "Speaking of making time count…" He grinned at her, and Jeannette tried to put their former conversations out of her head. She grinned back.

"I suppose if you're going back to work in two days, we really should think about…making that time count."

"I'm glad you agree." Simon smiled, and flipped off the light.

OoooOoooO

Theodore squirmed irritably in his chair. "Do I really have to sit through the fitting? My size hasn't changed since Simon's wedding. Can't they just use those measurements?"

Alvin sighed next to him. "It'll be quick, I promise, Theodore. But the tux style is different from what Simon used. They need to redo the measurements. I'm sorry."

"At least they could hurry things up a little." Theodore grumbled under his breath. They had been waiting in the formal shop for over an hour. He had tried to keep his spirits up as they continued to prepare for Alvin's wedding, which was rapidly approaching, but when he had heard that Brittany and her sisters were in the bridal shop two doors down at the same time he had found it hard to do so. He just wanted to get home.

No one said anything to his comment. In fact, no one had said much to him at all today. Gavin had tried to offer his condolences over his break up earlier, since this was the first time they had seen each other for weeks, but when Theodore had told him in no uncertain terms that that particular subject was none of his business the dark-haired chipmunk had retreated and not said anything else to him since.

"Simon…Simon! Wake up!" Beside him, his older brother jerked his eyes awake. Alvin grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the waiting chair. "It's your turn."

"Oh, sorry." Simon said, following Alvin. "Must have dozed off."

That wasn't surprising. Simon and Jeannette were due to move out tomorrow – finally – but Theodore knew from the last week and a half that Simon had been working ridiculously long hours. Apparently he had accepted some research position to append his residency, and the already grueling schedule he previously followed had been brought to new extremes. In addition to that, the day before had been his first solo surgery – something Simon had said was minor and that Dr. Thomas had praised him about, but had left his older brother exhausted. Theodore was a little worried about him.

But Simon would deal with it. He always did.

"Alvin." Theodore called as his red-clad brother led Simon out the door. "How much longer until they need me?"

Theodore could tell that Alvin was trying to control his frustration. "I don't know, Theodore. When they get to you."

"I'm going to go and get a soda, then. I'm thirsty." He wheeled himself out of the shop into the mall without waiting for an answer. This was ridiculous. How long could measurements take? No one followed him, or even acknowledged his leaving.

There was a Burger King not too far down, and he wheeled himself to the counter. "Hi, could I order a large Coke, please?"

"Anything else?" The girl asked, her eyes bored.

"No. Just the soda."

"That'll be $1.47." Theodore handed her two dollars out of his wallet and she handed him back the change and the drink. "Thank you for coming to Burger King." She droned automatically.

"You're so welcome." Theodore said sarcastically, almost before realizing he was going to speak. He sighed to himself, and took a sip of his soda. He still wasn't used to the lack of control he seemed to have lately over his actions – or his emotions. Sometimes he lay awake at night, alone in his room, and would feel the guilt that was so familiar to him by now because of his angry attitude towards those he loved. But during the day, or when they were interacting with him, it was all he could do not to scream in jealousy, or hide away where he could be alone with his thoughts. He _hated_ preparing for Alvin's wedding. Whether Alvin believed it or not, Theodore was trying hard to be positive about the 'blessed event', but it was almost impossible for him to control the envious anger he would feel every time he thought about the opulent wedding that Alvin and Brittany were planning. It always reminded him of the fact that he would never actually get to have that experience.

Theodore backed up his chair quickly, wanting to return to the formal shop just in case they _were_ finally ready for him. Usually he was a little more aware of where his chair was headed, but he was preoccupied and felt the wheel crash into something hard. The Coke splashed over the side of the cup but luckily didn't spill too much.

"Crap!" He grumbled, putting the soda between his worthless legs and trying to move his chair forward. It was stuck on something…apparently, the brake on the back wheel was wedged between the slats on the wooden bench he had just backed into. He reached behind him, trying to disengage the brake, but he couldn't contort himself into that position. He pushed his wheels forward harder, not caring if he broke the brake, just wanting to get himself released from the bench. It didn't work. He felt tears gathering unbidden in his eyes…he didn't want to have to call someone for help…not for something as silly as getting stuck to a mall bench.

"Here, let me help you." A familiar voice said from behind him. He felt the brake release and suddenly he could move again. He spun his chair around to see Eleanor standing there, her face unreadable. He wiped the tears quickly from his eyes.

"Thanks." He said dumbly. Seeing her again for the first time since that fateful day made his tongue tie up uselessly.

"No problem." Eleanor said. She glanced toward the bridal shop not far down. "They're taking forever with the fittings. I just came out to get a soda."

"Me, too." Theodore said, holding up his Coke. "You'd think that it wouldn't take so long to take a few measurements."

"Yeah." Eleanor agreed. "Actually, Brittany and Belle are still fighting about the color of her hair, so that's causing a problem with us. Brittany refuses to budge on the fact that she doesn't want Belle's hair to clash with the red bridesmaid dress, and Belle insists she's not going to change for anyone. It's getting to be quite the catfight in there."

Despite himself, Theodore felt himself laugh – the first real laugh he had laughed in a long while. "That sure sounds like the two of them."

Eleanor smiled back at him. "It sure is. In fact, I was in such a hurry to get out of the middle of it I forgot my purse." She sighed. "But I guess I'll have to go back in to get my money." She shuddered. "I don't know if I'm _that_ thirsty, though."

Theodore offered his cup up automatically, without realizing the unconscious instinct to assist Eleanor. "Here, have mine. I'm not that thirsty anymore, anyways."

"You sure?" For some reason, Eleanor blushed. Theodore felt himself do so in return.

"Yeah. I know Brittany and Belle…it'll probably get worse before it gets better." He said, holding the soda up to her. She hesitated, and then took the cup.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

Theodore felt almost as if they were speaking together for the first time. "No problem."

Eleanor stared at the soda for a moment. "Is this regular Coke?'

"Yeah."

"Okay, good." Eleanor shuddered. "Brittany's been buying nothing but diet soda lately, and I can't stand diet soda."

Theodore wrinkled his nose. "I know, me neither."

They were quiet for a moment. "I should be getting back." Theodore finally said. "Hopefully they'll be getting me in for my fitting soon."

"Okay."

Neither of them moved. "Bye, then." Eleanor said finally.

"Bye." Theodore sat in his chair, watching her walk off towards the bridal shop. Warring emotions fought within him. It had felt so _good_ to talk to her again, however awkward and silly the conversation had been…but it also reminded him that this was something that wasn't really a part of his life anymore. He couldn't just have these random conversations about nothing with his girlfriend anymore…he didn't have a girlfriend anymore, period. Rage filled him again, suddenly, and he rolled off towards the formal shop angrily. It was easier to feel anger than to feel the despondency that always threatened to replace it.

They had better be ready to get him in, or he was going to leave. Theodore was tired of waiting.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Gavin had followed him out of the shop, and had seen the whole exchange with Eleanor. Theodore didn't even notice the look on his friend's face – a look of determination and a subtle cunning.

If Theodore had noticed, he might have remembered how much like Alvin Gavin could be…and how many schemes his friend could come up with.

He also might have remembered that Gavin's girlfriend, Isabelle, was just as bad.

But he didn't notice.

And he didn't know how glad Gavin was that he hadn't.

**End of part 8**

**Please review…I am a review junkie!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Due to family medical problems and a recent car accident, my writing time has been severely cut. I apologize to anyone out there who is still reading about the terminal tardiness of this chapter.

M L Europe – okay, please don't tie me to a chair and make me watch teletubbies. I promise you I will go insane 

RavenChild, thanks for the new pic you drew of this story. As always, I get warm fuzzies when I think that my writing inspired another artist.

Sooooo, without too much further ado….

This story, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

_**Justifying the Means**_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

"_The end justifies the means."_

_-Niccolo Machiavelli_

**Chapter 9**

"Does this _have_ to stink so much?"  
Belle winced as Gavin pulled a lock of her hair. "What, the hair dye or your idea?"  
Though she couldn't see him, he was sure she could almost feel him sticking his tongue out at her. "My idea does not stink."  
"A little gentler, please." Belle said for the tenth time that night.

"Sorry." Gavin said. "I don't know why you always make me help with dyeing your hair. You always complain."

"Because you love me." Bell said simply. "Okay, back to the subject. You really think this will get Theodore and Eleanor back together?"

"Honestly?" Gavin asked. "I don't know. I have absolutely, positively, no idea. But it will at least get them together, alone, in a romantic setting." He grumbled then, almost to himself. "Since neither of them seems to want to do anything about it."

"I think your plan stinks more than my hair dye, personally."

"Got a better one?"

Belle picked up the bottle of blue hair dye in front of her. It was much smaller than what she usually bought. She twirled it in her fingers and sighed theatrically. "No."

"So we go with my plan, right?"

Belle sighed again, this time for real. "Right."

"Great. I'll call Theodore, and you'll call Eleanor. And try to be convincing."

"Okay, okay."

Gavin sounded entirely too pleased with himself, and he knew it, but it wasn't often he bested Belle. "So when do we fake this fight we're going to have?"

"Ouch!" Belle yelled again. "You pull my hair one more time, and we won't _have_ to fake a fight. I'll just call you out for the abusive boyfriend you are."

"Yeah, right." Gavin snorted. Belle had told him once that she was actually irritated that he _was_ such a good boyfriend, because it gave her no leg to stand on when she was angry with him. Gavin didn't quite understand that logic, but had come quite some time ago that he would never really understand his unpredictable girlfriend. Everything wasn't champagne and roses, though, and their fights rivaled Alvin and Brittany's at times – and were usually as silly. This was a fact that Simon never failed to point out to him.

Sometimes it annoyed him how often he and Belle were compared to their famous friends.

"It has to be tonight, I think." Belle said decisively, as usual trying to take control of the situation once she was a part of it. "Hey, pulling hair again!" Gavin finished coiling her hair on her head and ignored her. He knew that he was actually quite gentle by now – 4 years of doing this had made him something of an expert – and he realized that Isabelle's complaining was more out of habit than actual pain.

"I think you're right." He agreed, stripping off the plastic gloves that came with the kit. "How long does this particular stinky goo have to stay in that hair of yours?"

"Forty-five minutes." Belle replied, read off the back of the much larger box next to the little bottle of blue dye.

"Great." Gavin said sarcastically. "So I guess I have to go first, right?"

"Yep." Belle smiled up at him innocently. "It was your idea, after all."  
"All right." Gavin sighed. "I'll call Theodore." He shuddered. "I just hope he doesn't snap my head off over the phone. Long distance or not, that's painful."

"Again…your idea." Belle reminded him.

"Yeah, I know, but…"  
She handed him the phone. "Good luck."

"Yeah, yeah." Gavin grumbled. "I'm going to need it."

"Oh, and Gavin?"

"Yes?"

She smiled at him sweetly. "Be convincing."

OoooOoooO

"Simon? You going to get that?" Theodore yelled automatically when the phone rang. Then he remembered that Simon had moved out he day before. "Crap." He said aloud. He was the only one in the house…after a moment's indecision, he picked up the phone next to the bed. "Hello?"  
"Uh, Theodore?"

"Hi, Gavin." Theodore tried to sound friendly. It was hard. "What do you want?" He winced. That certainly hadn't sounded friendly.

"Well…" There was a strange pause on the other end of the line, and then even over the phone Gavin's demeanor changed. "I've had it, Theodore. I'm tired of her whining, her self-centeredness, her ego the size of the moon-"

"Whoa, whoa." Theo interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"Isabelle miss-world-revolves-around-me Fuerte, that's who." Gavin's voice was getting heated. "I am so _sick_ of how she always seems to think that I am her personal slave. I'm her _boyfriend_, not her hired help!"

"Did you guys have a fight?"

Gavin snorted. "That's the understatement of the year." He paused. "I broke up with her."

"You _what_?" Theodore felt floored, a flood of his old sympathy feeling almost alien as concern for his friends overwhelmed him. "Oh, no, Gavin!"

"Oh, yes." Gave affirmed grimly. "It's over. I just can't take it anymore. I can't deal with her bitchiness for one…more…day."

"But are you sure-"

"Oh, I'm sure, all right." Gavin didn't let him finish. "Its over. No more following her around like a lost puppy, no more doing her errands, no more-"

"I get the picture, Gavin." Theodore said, breaking into his friend's ranting.

"Sorry. I'm getting a little carried away."

"That's okay." Theodore said automatically. "I understand."

"I know. That's why I'm calling you." There was a moment on the other line, and a strange thump in the background. Theodore frowned. Had Gavin just muffled a yelp of pain? "I was hoping we could get together…I just don't want to sit around and fume all day."

"Gavin, I don't know…"

"Theodore, please. I'm tired of you hiding from everyone…you do have friends, you know, and eventually they'll disappear if you never see them." Gavin's voice suddenly sounded much more genuine – or was that Theodore's imagination? "Alvin and Simon are busy. Honestly, this isn't something I'd want to burden them with right now anyways. Weddings and all, right?"

" I know, but…"  
"Look, I'll pick you up around seven, okay? My uncle's already got reservations at the Blue Swan for two, Belle and I were supposed to go out, and he gets irritated when he goes out of his way for family and we cancel on him."

Theodore felt himself relenting, though he wasn't sure if Gavin was going to end up being happy about that or not. His friends had not seemed all that glad to be around him lately. "All right, all right."

"Wonderful." Gavin's voice sounded relieved. "Seven then."

"Seven."

"_You_ broke up with _me?"_ Isabelle nearly screeched as Gavin calmly hung up the phone.

"You told me to make it believable." Gavin managed to say with a completely straight face.

"Whining? Self-centered?" Isabelle seemed to have committed the conversation to memory already. "_Ego the size of the moon?"_

"Belle, I couldn't just call him and say 'we broke up…why? No reason. Just felt like it." Gavin squirmed a little under her gaze. Suddenly the heat in her eyes was making him nervous. "I didn't _mean_ any of those things, you know…you know I adore you." Flattery couldn't hurt. "You're definitely not whiny or self-centered, you're smart, beautiful, and free spirited-"

"But my ego rivals a celestial satellite, huh?"

"Of course not! You're confident, that's all…"

Gavin could tell with a bit of a sinking heart that his capricious girlfriend wasn't buying it. Okay, he had maybe taken it a little too far… "I'm sorry, Belle." He said lamely, hoping that the old standby of taking all the blame in a fight would calm her, which is how their fights usually ended. This time, at least, he really did feel he might have been in the wrong. "I got carried away."

Isabelle grabbed the phone off the cradle roughly. "Oh, bugger off, you bloody twit. Ever hear the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?"

"Uh, Belle? You weren't really scorned." Gavin's unease was giving way to actual fright. Isabelle only reverted to her lower-class accent when she was really upset. "It was an act, remember? Trying to help Theodore and Eleanor, two of our best friends? An _act."_

"You fancy seeing some acting, _luv_?" Isabelle nearly hissed at him. "I'll show you acting. Brittany's not the only diva around here, you know."

Gavin knew that only too well, and as Isabelle punched in the numbers to the Miller's residence, he wondered if Eleanor would ever speak to him after the performance he was sure Isabelle was going to put on.

The malicious glint in Isabelle's eyes made Gavin think it wasn't likely.

OoooOoooO

"Do you know it's considered rude to keep working after the boss calls it quits?"  
Simon looked up from his computer screen, only now noticing that Dr. Pryce was standing there, leaning against his desk in a casual manner. His expression seemed to indicate that he had been there for some time. "Sorry, Dr. Pryce. I didn't realize it was so late." He looked at the clock and realized just how late it was. He had supposed to have been home an hour ago. Jeannette was going to kill him. "Sometimes I just get carried away, and-"

"Relax, Simon. I was joking. Though I do think it's high time you went home." Pryce smiled at him. "You can't decipher all the secrets of the human nervous system in a single day."

"Believe me, that's a fact I'm only too aware of." Simon rubbed his eyes, noting the grainy tiredness in them, but still closed his laptop with a touch of reluctance. Pryce had wanted him to review the findings from his previous research before becoming actively involved in the project now. That made sense, since the projects were so closely linked, but the amount of information he had to assimilate was staggering – but fascinating. And pertinent to Simon's ultimate goals – he had never seen such promising research on nerve regeneration. The theories on possible neural tissue grafting seemed bordering on science fiction. There was only one problem, at least insofar as Simon had found yet.

There was no way to test a lot of the theories – at least from what he had seen so far. But he had barely made his way through a third of the material, and even the files that Pryce had given him were slimmed down. Besides, Simon knew that a great deal of science dealt with hypotheses that couldn't be proven but sometimes lead to _new_ hypotheses that _could_ be proven. In any case, Simon had felt a small but strong seed of hope germinate in the fertile soil of his soul.

Maybe there would be a way he could help his brother.

"Well, you don't seem too aware of it tonight." Pryce's smile faded a little. "Not that I don't appreciate your dedication, but do try and pace yourself, Simon. I've seen more that one promising resident burn out when the pressure just finally beat them. I'd hate to see that happen to the resident who I believe outshines them all."

Simon almost blushed. Pryce was like that with all his staff, though…he said he only worked with the best and so expected them to know that they were the best. If you didn't believe in yourself enough, you'd never be better than second-rate and there was no place for you here. Simon's innate modesty sometimes had a little difficulty with this somewhat egotistical attitude, but as he worked with Dr. Pryce's staff he grew to admire the brilliant people that surrounded him, and a small part of him had even started to agree with Pryce. False modesty aside, the research team seemed to encompass some of the greatest minds he had worked with thus far. And, as Dr. Thomas himself had said, the one thing a physician could not afford was doubt.

"Don't worry, sir." Simon said firmly, the blush fading before it really had had a chance to rise. "I'm not going to burn out. I promise you that."

Dr. Pryce's smile returned full force. "I don't believe you will, Simon. I don't think that at all."

"I appreciate your confidence in me, sir." Simon stood. "And you're absolutely right, it's way past the time I should have left. Jeannette is going to give me an earful when I get home, I'm sure. Its just Chinese take-out tonight, but we've been trying to make it a habit of having dinner together, and I was supposed to be home an hour ago."

"Jeanette's your new wife, isn't she?" Pryce asked conversationally as they walked out of the facility together.

"Yes. She's also been my best friend since we were children, and a brilliant chemist." Simon said, his face radiant with pride.

"Childhood sweethearts. That's rare to hear of nowadays." Pryce said as he flipped the switch and started to lock the doors. "She must be something special."

"She is, sir." Simon said. In his eyes, there was no one closer to perfection. "She is."

"I still haven't met your lovely wife, Simon. And I hope your coming to see that my staff and I aren't just co-workers, we're also friends – nearly a family all our own." The last tumbler in the lock clicked into place, and Pryce turned to face Simon. "I would love to meet Jeannette."

Despite himself, for the barest moment Simon couldn't keep his smile from faltering. Over the past few weeks he had found himself growing to like Dr. Pryce more and more, but Jeannette's opinion hadn't changed, and he had found himself veering from the subject of his new mentor whenever it seemed to be coming up in his and Jeannette's discussions. "I'm sure that she'd be happy to, but we've been very busy, and I'm not sure-"

"Besides," Pryce interrupted, "I never did get you a wedding present. Please, let my wife and I treat you to dinner. It's the least I can do."

"Oh, I'm not sure-"

"Please, I have reservations tonight anyways for four. Hennessy and her husband were supposed to join us, but she's on call and there was an emergency with one of her patients. It would be a waste to throw away reservations for such a fine restaurant, and I'm sure you could enjoy something more than Chinese take-out."

Simon hesitated. He didn't really feel like Chinese, that was true enough, but Jeannette had made her feelings known about how she viewed Dr. Pryce. But maybe meeting him, she would see her suspicions were unfounded. After all, Pryce was very personable, and maybe actually meeting the man would put Jeannette at ease. He would be working with Simon for quite some time – he didn't really want to have to do a verbal dance with Jeannette every time they spoke about his time at the research center. "What time are the reservations?"  
"Six-thirty. That gives you an hour or so to get ready. And I know you pulled a double, working the graveyard shift last night at the hospital before coming to the Center this morning, but I also know tomorrow is your day off. And Sabrina and I would love the company."

An hour wasn't a very long time to get ready, but he and Jeannette weren't the primping types anyways…he sighed a little as he realized he had already decided on going. An informal dinner and conversation might just be what Jeannette needed to warm up to Dr. Pryce…and if she didn't, well, at least he had made the attempt. "We'd be happy to go, then, Dr. Pryce. But I'd better hurry home then, so we can get ready."

"Fantastic!" Dr. Pryce beamed. "We'll pick you up in an hour, then – I have your address." They were near their cars, Simon's sedate sedan and a Lexus that belonged to Dr. Pryce. "One hour, and semi-formal attire. Nothing but the best for my family."

Simon merely waved as the doctor shut his door and pulled out of the parking lot. He suddenly felt even more unsure about this…he really should have called Jeannette, at least, before agreeing to it. But it had happened so quickly…and he really did think that it might help his wife and his teacher get on better footing. And it was, as Pryce had said, a wedding gift. Surely Jeannette would appreciate that.

Simon was nearly halfway home when he remembered that Pryce hadn't told them just where they were going. 'Semi-formal attire' meant that it wasn't going to be a Denny's, though, and Simon quickly decided that the location of the dinner was irrelevant as long as they kept to the vague dress code Pryce had given them. He was paying, after all, so it wasn't as if they had to budget how much this dinner was going to cost before they left.

And besides, maybe Jeannette would like going out to a fancy restaurant. They hadn't had much time to go out lately. Simon's work hours and Jeannette's graduate schooling kept them extraordinarily busy. A night out to socialize was just what both of them needed, a little rest and relaxation.

Simon sighed as he pulled into their driveway, the drive itself seeming to have taken a lot less time that night. He knew he was rationalizing his decision, and that if he was doing that then he knew he was feeling more than a little guilty making plans he knew Jeannette wouldn't be happy about.

But what was done was done.

Simon plastered a smile on his face and went in to his wife.

**End of Chapter 9 **

**Please, please review so I know that there are still people out there who aren't boycotting me because of dropping off the face of the planet for so long!**

**(Pathetic plea though that may be…)**


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks to all who reviewed chapter nine and let me know I still have a few readers out there. You guys rock!

This story, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

_**Justifying the Means **_

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

"_The end justifies the means." _

_-Niccolo Machiavelli _

**Chapter 10**

Dinner was not going well. From what Jeannette could tell, however, Simon hadn't realized it.

She had already forgiven him for agreeing to it without asking her. She hadn't been happy, but she had seen how tired Simon looked and it was obvious how much he wanted Jeannette and Dr. Pryce to get along. So even though she had been ill most of the day – Jeannette thought she might be coming down with a stomach bug- she had quickly assured him that she would be fine with dinner. Perhaps Simon was right after all. She'd never actually met this doctor whose opinion meant so very much to her husband. Her own opinion had been based solely on the rumors and reports of past misconducts. That wasn't really like her, and honestly, wasn't really fair. She didn't usually judge so harshly.

But she had only reaffirmed that opinion the moment she had shook hands with Dr. Pryce and his wife. The doctor was good looking, charming, and well-spoken – and possibly the coldest person Jeannette had ever met. Jeannette knew she wasn't the best judge of character in the world, but there was just something about him…the way his warm smiles never seemed to touch his eyes, perhaps, or the piercing way those eyes seemed to assess her, as if she were a column of numbers to be added up…or a specimen to be studied.

Sabrina, his wife, did little to help Jeannette's opinion. She was a lovely woman, with dark olive skin and a mass of black curls set off by startling blue eyes. During introductions Sabrina had told her in a very faint exotic accent that she was an artist – a sculptor, to be precise. Jeannette had heard of her, though she wasn't too involved in the art scene – her work had enjoyed several stays in the New York Museum of Art. She probably would have liked the young woman if it hadn't been for the near-vapid look of adoration in her eyes when Sabrina looked at her husband. This woman did not love her husband, she worshipped him – and that scared Jeannette more than a little.

Simon had not seemed to notice her discomfort or her silence, and now, halfway through the appetizers, he simply flashed her a distracted smile when she pushed her shrimp cocktail away and stood.

Jeannette honestly believed he had forgotten about her.

"I'm going to the ladies' room." She announced. Simon nodded at her absently.

"Okay, Jeannette."

Jeannette grabbed her purse from under her chair, trying not to be irritated by Simon's easy dismissal. Next to her, Sabrina pulled her chair out as well.

"I think I'd like to freshen up, too."

Dr. Pryce barely gave her a second glance. Jeannette slipped gratefully into the bathroom, wishing only that Sabrina hadn't come with her. It wasn't that she disliked the woman, but…

"Simon seems like a wonderful man."

Jeannette lifted her hairbrush out of her purse. "Thank you." She said after a moment, wishing she could think of something nice to say about Pryce as well. "He thinks very highly of Dr. Pryce."

"You don't though, do you."

Jeannette nearly dropped her hairbrush. "Where on Earth did you get that idea?" She stammered, knowing that her furious blushing would probably give her away. "I-"

"Relax, Jeannette." Sabrina calmly continued to fix her already perfect makeup. "I understand. Quentin is taking up a lot of your husband's time, and that's hard for anyone – doubly hard for you newlyweds. It's only understandable that you resent him for that."

Jeannette resisted the urge to tell her that her theory wasn't the only reason she disliked Pryce. "I don't resent him." _I don't trust him._

Sabrina seemed to not hear her. "Quentin thinks very highly of Simon too, Jeannette. In fact, I've never seen him as excited by a new research associate. He truly believes your husband can do great things."

"So do I." Jeannette said truthfully.

"Then I'm asking you to forgive Quentin – and to give him a chance." Sabrina placed her makeup kit carefully back in her purse. "He's a brilliant surgeon, and from what I understand Simon has the potential to become his equal if not surpass him."

"I know that."

"Then listen to me." Sabrina said, taking Jeannette's hands in hers. "What Quentin is trying to do is worth it. I'm living proof – don't lose sight of the big picture. Being the wife of a certifiable genius is work – worth it, but work. It's our job to be the strength that suffers."

"What!" Jeannette asked incredulously.

"That might have come out badly." Sabrina sighed, then turned and lifted her heavy tresses so that Jeannette got a clear view of the back of her neck. "But I've got a personal reason to have such strong feelings about this."

Across the smooth skin of her neck there was shiny pink scar, the line of it too smooth and perfect to be anything but surgical. "What happened?" Jeannette asked despite herself.

"Thayre-Acker disease." Sabrina said, dropping her hair and turning back to face Jeannette. "A bacterial infection that affects the nervous system."

"I've never heard of it."

"It's extraordinarily rare. They don't really even know how a person contracts it. But the fact of the matter is, I did. Thayre-Ackers responds well to aggressive antibiotic therapy, and I was treated early enough that I never reached the terminal stage. But they didn't catch it before it had done extensive damage to the tissues in my spine. The nerve damage left me with a wheelchair – my legs shook too much to walk safely – tremors in my hands and arms, and no career – no future."

Jeannette stared at her as Sabrina lifted one rock-steady hand. "I'm a sculptor, Jeannette. My hands are my life. I _had_ no life…until I met Quentin."

"He was your doctor?"

Sabrina nodded. "I know what you're going to say. Patient-doctor taboo." She laughed softly. "Dr. Hennessy – another associate of Quentin's, I dare say Simon's met her – was a friend of mine. If she hadn't referred me to him, then I'd still be dying a little bit day by day, slowly but surely. I'd be watching my life pass me by from the seat of a wheelchair – a prisoner in my own body."

Her words reminded Jeannette uncomfortably of Theodore. That description sounded far too much like her brother-in-law's life lately for comfort. "But doesn't the AMA strictly forbid patient-doctor relationships? I mean, couldn't he have lost his license? "

"If we had been in the states, absolutely." Sabrina agreed. "But we weren't. I was born in Brazil."

That explained the accent Jeannette hadn't been able to pin down. "Oh."

"But that's irrelevant. What _is_ relevant is Simon and Quentin's work. I couldn't live with myself if I condemned someone to that living hell I escaped from because of my own selfish wants. I'm not calling you selfish." Sabrina hastily assured her at Jeannette's injured expression. "But I know how frustrating this must be. I know you want Simon home with you when he's pulling a twenty-hour shift at the hospital. But think of what he's doing – and just who could be helped by it."

Jeannette wondered how much Sabrina knew about her and Simon – and Theodore. Somehow she had pushed exactly the right buttons. "Lets get back to dinner, shall we?" She said after a moment of silence. This conversation had disturbed the young chipmunk woman on multiple levels. She didn't want to continue it.

"Of course." Sabrina said brightly, seeming to put the conversation behind her a lot more easily than Jeannette could. "The main course should be out soon."

"Good." Jeannette trailed quietly behind the beautiful sculptor. It was hard to believe, but she would rather be ignored by Simon at the tablethan spend another minute alone with this woman. As they neared the table, Jeannette saw with some relief that their dinners had arrived.

She wanted to get back home as soon as possible – and away from Dr. Pryce and his wife.

**OoooOoooO**

"Is that Jeannette?"

Belle glanced in the direction Eleanor pointed and frowned. "I don't think so, Eleanor. Why would Jeannette be in the Blue Swan tonight?"

"That's a good question. In fact, I've been wondering the same thing. Why are _we_ in the Blue Swan tonight? Isn't it _Gavin's_ uncle who works here?" Eleanor looked at Belle suspiciously. Something had seemed off about the British chipmunk's invitation – although her reasons for fighting with Gavin had certainly seemed heartfelt.

Isabelle waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal "Yeah, but I made the reservations. I'd better not see Gavin here."

"He probably wouldn't even recognize you - I almost didn't, with the new look and all-"

Isabelle's giggle held a note of embarassment. "Yeah, well, I wasn't going to let Brittany win, so-"

"Belle?" Theodore's voice sounded surprised as it interrupted the British chipmunk, but that was nothing compared to the look of shock Eleanor saw at her own entrance. "_Eleanor?"_

"Gavin?" Eleanor said. "Theodore?"

Isabelle laughed nervously. "Guess we all know each other, then." Eleanor felt herself being pushed into the room roughly, and Gavin stood quickly from the table he and Theodore were sitting at. She felt her eyes narrow when Gavin and Isabelle linked hands in the doorway, both of them looking at her and Theodore anxiously.

"Wait a minute…"

"So I guess we'll leave the two of you alone, right?" Gavin grinned, his voice rushing to get the words out. "Dinner's already on the table, and a bottle of champagne is over in the bucket over there – " He pointed to the corner, where indeed rested a just-opened bottle of champagne. "So you guys have a great time, okay?"

"Bye!" Isabelle said quickly, and suddenly they were gone, the door to the private salon slamming behind them. Eleanor ran up to the door quickly, turning the knob and pushing the door outwards, but something stopped the door before it moved two inches.

"We're not letting you out for at least an hour!" Isabelle called, her voice muffled from behind the door.

"Belle! Gavin!" Eleanor pounded on the door. "You let us out this minute! What on Earth do you think you're doing?"

"Making you two fix something that has to be fixed." Gavin said firmly from beyond the barrier.

Theodore had wheeled himself next to her and banged on the door so hard the walls shook. "Gavin! You tricked me!" His eyes flashed with an anger so hot Eleanor was surprised that he wasn't burning holes in the door. "You said you needed to talk to me, that you had broken up with Belle! You two certainly look friendly for a couple who's just split up!"

"I lied!" Gavin called out. "And I'm leaving now! Belle and I are going to have dinner, too. We're in the next salon over, so if you try to make a scene, it won't matter – we'll be the only ones able to hear you."

"_Gavin!"_ Theodore bellowed, his fist crashing into the door. "_Isabelle! You let us out of here right now!"_

There was no answer. Theodore banged on the door a few more times before he seemed to realize the same thing Eleanor did – they were stuck here until Gavin and Isabelle decided to let them out. His fist faltered in the middle of another strike, and fell into his lap. "I can't believe this!" He grumbled, not looking at Eleanor as he wheeled himself back to the table and then back to the door again – his equivalent of pacing. "I cannot believe they locked us in here!"

"Me neither." Eleanor agreed. She was angry, too, at the trick their friends had played on them – but Theodore's anger seemed to hold an edge of panic to it that made her heart break. He really couldn't stand the thought of being alone with her, could he?

"This is…I mean, really…what the _hell_ do they think they're doing?"

Eleanor started visibly at the angry words Theodore directed towards nobody. "I think they're trying to get us back together." She said simply.

"Well, I _guessed_ that, but it's none of their business! I mean, I can't…I mean, we already made our decision, and it's not their place to interfere in our personal lives!" Theodore wheeled himself up to the door again and pulled uselessly against it for a moment. "Why can't everyone just _leave me alone?"_

Eleanor felt a flare of her own anger overtake her. "Because we care about you, Theodore – though I don't know why, anymore."

Theodore looked at her in genuine surprise. "What?"

Eleanor sighed. She didn't usually let her temper get the best of her. "I'm sorry, Theodore, that was cold. They're just trying to help."

Theodore turned away from the door, his face losing a little of it's anger. "Yeah, I know. I do. I just don't _want_ their help."

_What about me?_ Eleanor wanted to ask, but kept her mouth shut. Instead she sat at the table and offered him a tremulous smile. "Well, at the very least, we're getting dinner out of it. It looks like they spared no expense on that. Lobster bisque, Caesar salad, prime rib and shrimp…" she named off the entrees as she lifted the silver cover off each one. "And looks like caramel cheesecake for dessert."

"What?" Theodore stared at her.

"Cheesecake." Eleanor repeated, though she was fairly sure Theodore wasn't asking for a clarification. She pulled the bottle of champagne from the ice and poured two glasses. "I can't give an opinion on the champagne, because I don't drink it much, but I'm sure Gavin had his uncle pick out a good one." She took a sip, and thought a moment. "Yes…definitely a good one. I think I like it."

"Eleanor, what are you _doing?_" Theodore asked as she set one glass of champagne next to his plate and began to help herself to the sumptuous dishes in front of her.

"What does it look like? I'm eating." Eleanor said calmly.

"Yes, but-"

"But what? They're not going to let us out for a while, Theodore. It doesn't make sense for this feast to go to waste." Eleanor spooned a bit of the lobster bisque into her mouth and smiled a little. "Besides, I'm hungry."

Theodore just watched her eat for a few moments, and despite her declaration earlier, Eleanor felt anything but hungry. But she couldn't just sit in here for an hour, fuming along with her ex-boyfriend because their friends were trying to fix them up again. There was no point to it. "This is really good, Theodore. Aren't you hungry?"

"No!" Theodore shook his head, then looked up almost shyly. "Well, maybe a little. But-"

"Stop with the 'buts', Theodore." Eleanor scolded, ladling out some soup into the bowl next to his plate. "We're still friends, right? Can't friends have dinner together?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess so. I mean, of course they can. I just-"

"Then eat, Theodore. It'll make the time go faster anyways."

Theodore pushed himself reluctantly to the table and took the spoon in his hand. "You're right, Eleanor."

"I'm always right, remember?" Eleanor replied flippantly before she realized what she was saying. Theodore winced at her comment, and Eleanor felt her own face make the same gesture – but neither of them said anything. It had been a running joke with them for years after the accident that 'the woman was always right.' Of course, neither of them actually believed such sexist nonsense, but it had become a standard whenever Eleanor would get her way that one of them would say it. It always made Theodore laugh.

He didn't laugh now. In fact, he said nothing, concentrating instead on the soup in front of him. They ate in silence for several minutes that way.

Finally, Eleanor threw down her soup spoon in frustration. "This is ridiculous."

Theodore froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"Even though I disagree with their methods, Gavin and Belle have the right idea." Eleanor said to him, her eyes meeting his and not letting them go. "We need to talk."

"We already talked, Eleanor."

"Yeah, I know about that one, believe me." Eleanor couldn't help the bitterness that crept into her voice. "But like it or not, Theodore, our lives are always going to be connected – by our friends, as was obvious tonight, but more importantly, by our sisters and brothers – or did you forget that Simon and Jeannette are married now and that Alvin and Brittany's wedding is five days away?"

"Of course I didn't forget."

"Then we have to come to some sort of compromise here, Theodore." Eleanor couldn't help it as her voice dropped softer. "I've missed you."

Theodore's face was tortured. "Eleanor, I don't want to-"

"Shut up." Eleanor said in that same soft voice, and Theodore's mouth snapped shut as if she had screamed at him. "I miss our walks together, talking on the phone, going to kid's movies together even though we're 'too old' to go…I miss our friendship more than anything I've ever lost before." She missed far more than that, but Eleanor wanted to salvage what she could. "We need to save that, at the very least. I can't make you want to be with me. But for our families' sakes, for our future nieces and nephews, for our _own_ sakes…we need to try and keep that friendship. We've had too much history together to walk away scot-free, you know."

"It's not that easy." Theodore whispered, his eyes fixated on his plate. Eleanor took his chin firmly in her hand and forced his eyes to meet hers.

"No, it's never easy." She agreed with him. It broke her heart to see the pain in his eyes. Maybe he really did want to keep away from her, to deny that they had ever had something special, but looking into his eyes like this she couldn't bring herself to believe it. And if she couldn't be with him, she could at least have him in her life to some degree. She had to believe he wanted at least that much, too. "Friendships are hard. Learning to have a new relationship together will be hard. But I still love you, Theodore. And I have to believe that you, at least at one point, loved me too. And if all that's left of that love is friendship, well, I'd still say that's worth saving – don't you?"

Theodore looked at her, his eyes brimming with tears. "Eleanor, I…I don't know if I can."

"Of course you can, Theodore." Eleanor hugged him impulsively, quickly – a sisterly hug and no more. "We were friends before we started dating. Granted, that was a while ago, but that worked pretty well. So? Can we do it?" She put her hand over his hand on the table. "Friends?"

Theodore stared at her hand on his for a moment, then looked up at her. A faint, wavering smile rested on his face. He nodded.

"Friends."

**End of Part 10**

**Reviews are ,as always, greatly desired and appreciated!**

Top of Form


	11. Chapter 11

This story, due to being set during their twenties, will have a few more adult scenes to it, so be forewarned. Not NC-17 or anything, but come on, a bunch of twenty-somethings definitely won't be stuck in the holding hands stage…just FYI!

**_Justifying the Means _**

_"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." _

_ -Niccolo Machiavelli _

_"The end justifies the means." _

_ -Niccolo Machiavelli _

Chapter11 

"Do you think we should let them out now?"

"No."

"But they haven't made any noise for fifteen minutes." Isabelle said, putting her ear up against the door. This was easy, because she was sitting right next to it. Gavin's uncle hadn't been too pleased when they had dragged their table in front of the salon entrance, but couldn't really come up with a good reason for them not to. The private salons were down in a secluded part of the restaurant, and the regular patrons couldn't see them anyways. So after a grumbled, "It just isn't done," he had given up and simply sent them a waiter. Now Belle just listened at the door, an anxious look on her face. "I think Theodore killed her." She finally said.

"Oh, Belle, don't be overdramatic." Gavin said, rolling his eyes. Isabelle narrowed her own eyes at him.

"Overdramatic, now, too? Bloody hell, it's bloomin' amazing you can find anything to like about me at all."

"Don't start that again, Belle!" Gavin nearly groaned. "I can't say I'm sorry any more than I already have! And it's not like you didn't have a few choice things to say about me to Eleanor, either. I seem to remember being compared to a 'new-born kitten without a spine' and - what was it? 'as chicken as your home-made soup?' Not to mention the 'Alvin Seville wannabe who's too much of a baby to stop hiding behind his friends.'" His tone turned angry. "I don't hide behind Alvin, Isabelle. And I don't like you comparing me to him."

Isabelle blushed. She knew she had gone too far with that one. "All right, all right. I'm sorry too. Even?"

Gavin smiled at her, his mild irritation evaporating before her eyes. "Even." He leaned over the table, carefully avoiding the baked salmon he had ordered as he tried to kiss his girlfriend. Isabelle silently thanked the gods that she had such a tolerant boyfriend. After all this time, she saw why her and Alvin together would have been disastrous – they would have killed each other a few months into the relationship. Both of them were too stubborn, too proud to admit when they were wrong…Gavin was not afraid to show he was mortal, and confident enough to let her hide in her need to be dominant even when it frustrated him – which, she knew, it did often.

"Gavin?" She said after they kissed, nuzzling his cheek softly.

"Yes, Belle?"

"I love you."

"You'd better." Gavin winced as she slapped him on the arm. "You know, Belle, I've never kissed you when you didn't have blue hair. It's strange. My eyes open and its like 'hey! Who's this?'"

"I don't look _that_ different-" Isabelle began protesting, and was cut off by a sharp noise inside the salon. It sounded as if someone were almost in pain…"Gavin? Is that Theodore?"

Gavin nodded, his face suddenly worried. "I think he's crying."

Another catch of breath, this one female, caught their attention. "Eleanor." Isabelle said, her frown deepening. "She's crying too…Gavin, we can't leave them in there if its making them so unhappy…"

"Belle..."

There was a near-scream from the room. It was definitely female.

Isabelle and Gavin jumped in unison at Eleanor's yell. "Gavin, we have no right…"

But Gavin was already moving the table. They pulled the table away, both of them standing in front of the door as it was unblocked as if the hordes of hell were waiting on the other side. "Well?" Gavin said after a moment.

"Well what?" Isabelle asked. "Open the bloody door, Gavin!"

He did so without hesitation. Eleanor and Theodore both sat facing the door, their faces tight with emotion, and Isabelle at first almost stumbled over her words trying to apologize. They probably couldn't hear her, because Gavin was doing the same thing.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor, I just-"

"Theodore, you know I was just-"

Eleanor made a shriek again…of …laughter? "Now, Theodore!"

Isabelle screamed herself as a clotted gob of lobster bisque struck her square between the eyes. Beside her, Gavin threw up his arms to ward himself against the pieces of neatly cut up prime rib that were pelting him with unerring accuracy from the tip of Theodore's fork. "Hey!" He screamed, ducking from the beef attack.

"You think you're getting away with this?" Eleanor laughed, and Isabelle realized that what she had taken for crying had been Eleanor beset with a terminal case of the giggles. "I don't _think _so!"

"I don't even _like_ caramel!" Theodore said, punctuating his words with several pieces of caramel cheesecake flying at them and exploding like sugary-sweet grenades over their bodies. "You guys should know that by now!"

"Theod-oof!" Gavin was rocked back by the remainder of Theodore's prime rib landing squarely on his chest. The meat stuck there for a moment, as Gavin looked down on it in surprise, then slowly oozed down his chest until it slipped off with an audible _pop!_ and fell to the ground.

Isabelle stood firmly, her mouth agape for only a moment before she faced the two food missile-wielding chipmunks with a scolding expression on her face. "Really, children, do you think-"

"_Bloody hell_, shut up, Isabelle!" Eleanor cried, her hand drawn back for only a moment before letting something large, white, and spattered with a light brown glaze fly at her. Isabelle just stood for a moment, as the remainder of the caramel cheesecake began to drip off her face. She blinked her eyes several times, the lids feeling heavy due to the cream-cheese mascara Eleanor had made her wear, and it took her nearly five seconds to realize what had happened. "What on earth?" she tried to say, but got a mouthful of cheesecake instead. She spat it out on the floor…though it was actually pretty good.

"Lock us up?" Theodore grabbed something off the table behind him. "Trick us into coming here…"

"Belle…." Gavin's voice held a warning, but Isabelle was too busy trying to get the cheesecake off of her eyes to pay attention "Isabelle!"

"Lie to us, make us feel sorry for you…" Eleanor held several shrimp scampi in one hand, the other gripping one shrimp as if it were some sort of medieval throwing dagger. Despite her inability to see them well, Isabelle felt the urge to back away from that crustacean weapon. Beside her, she began to realize that Theodore was shaking some sort of bottle up and down in his hands.

"Belle…"

"What is it, Gavin?" Isabelle exploded, turning slightly to her boyfriend but keeping most of her attention on the two traitorous chipmunks in front of him. It turned out her precaution was ill-aimed, and she should have turned to Gavin fully instead of merely glancing at him. This became clear as Theodore released his thumb from the bottle of champagne, letting loose a shower of aromatic alcoholic bubbles from the neck of the bottle. She gasped and sputtered as the champagne bubbles fought with her lungs for breath. Finally the explosive liquid rush abated.

Isabelle blinked through the champagne haze, her mouth working but too angry to say anything. "You…you…" She finally managed, but Theodore and Eleanor's droll smiles killed her words efficiently… she had no way to defend herself. With a cry of rage, she grabbed Gavin's salmon remains and flung them at Theodore.

Theodore wasn't expecting the fishy attack. He dropped the spurting bottle, the pink of the salmon very bright against his fur as his mouth opened in a comical 'o' of surprise, then closed and spat when a mouthful of salmon fell into it. Beside him, Eleanor just laughed and spun, gaining speed before she whipped the remainder of the soup in the bowl at Isabelle.

Eleanor missed her target, striking Gavin instead, covering the dark haired chipmunk in the slightly congealed lobster bisque. Gavin spluttered, spitting out bisque, and then his eyes narrowed at the blonde chipmunk. "Okay, Eleanor, you're going _down._" He said, spearing his fork with a piece of soft candied carrot before aiming it menacingly at Eleanor. "I'm gonna get you for that…"

"Gavin!" The commotion had finally gotten someone's attention – Gavin's uncle. Uh – oh. "_You stop that right now!_"

Isabelle saw Gavin hesitate, dropping the fork, but then his eyes narrowed. Isabelle grinned. He was already in it, and no matter what would probably be barred from the restaurant indefinitely…and she knew that if Gavin was going to get in trouble, he would rather have fun doing it. He ignored the frantic man and scooped up a handful of mashed potatoes and gravy. "Catch!" He said, tossing the potatoes underhand towards Eleanor. They landed with a wet splash directly onto Eleanor's chest, and Isabelle cheered loudly.

"Gotcha!"

"_Gavin Vincent Pettigrew!" _Gavin's uncle was nearly on them now. Gavin began grabbing items off the table rapidly, obviously knowing that he'd need to hurry if he wanted to get a good offensive strike in. Eleanor raised her arms to keep off the worst of the attack, but Theodore just threw back at him as quickly as he could. By the time his uncle grabbed Gavin's arm and physically stopped him, there was very little food left on the tables and very much on the chipmunks in front of him.

"Just what in the _world_ do you think you're doing?"

Gavin smiled, a look of false innocence on his face. "Nothing, Uncle Harold."

Harold just looked at him, his face going from consternation to anger several times before settling on anger. "This is it, boy, you are gone! And don't you dare-"

"I know, I know. Don't come back or call you for any favors." Gavin said.

"Don't you get sassy with me-"

"We're sorry, Harold." Isabelle said, flashing her most charming smile at him. She wondered how effective it was through a mask of food. "We're leaving, I promise. This was childish of us."

"Extremely childish." Harold looked sharply at Eleanor when she couldn't control a giggle. Eleanor just looked back at him, regaining composure.

"Sorry, sir." She said.

"Just…leave, okay? I've got to clean this up."

"Okay, no problem. We're already gone.

Harold turned on his heel and stomped off down the corridor. The four managed to keep sober until he had turned the corner, and then all four fell into hysterical laughter. Isabelle tried to catch her breath several times, but each time would glance at one of the others and it would set her off into gales again.

"Okay, okay!" Gavin finally said, being the first one to get a hold of himself. "We'd really better leave. I don't think Uncle Harold was kidding."

Isabelle looked down at herself. "Bugger it, you know we're going to have to walk through the dining room looking like this?" This caused another round of giggles to go through them.

"Well, at least they won't be able to recognize us." Eleanor said after a moment, walking around the table. Her feet made squishing noises as they trod over the spilled food. "And on that subject…Belle?"

"Yes?"

"I like your hair."

**OoooOoooO**

"What on Earth do you suppose all that commotion was about?"

Simon held the door for Jeannette and Sabrina, then stepped outside and shrugged. "I have no idea." He said honestly in response to Sabrina's question. "Sounded like a bunch of kids goofing off."

"Or a college cafeteria." Pryce said, chuckling. "Whatever it was, I'm glad-"

"Simon?"

Simon turned around at hearing Theodore's voice. "_Theodore?_ What happened to you?"

He watched in amazement as Gavin, Isabelle, and Eleanor all filed out of the restaurant, all of them dripping with various foods. Theodore ran his eyes over the others before looking back at Simon helplessly. "It's kind of a long story."

"I guess so." Suddenly Simon remembered who he was with, and groaned inwardly. _Of course_ this would happen when he was out with Dr. Pryce. "Uh, Theodore, this is Dr. Quentin Pryce and his wife, Sabrina. Dr. Pryce, this is…well, uh, my brother Theodore." Simon shook his head in consternation. "And our friends Gavin, Belle, and Eleanor."

"Charmed." Dr. Pryce held out his hand. Theodore automatically reached for it, but seemed to realize that he would smear what looked to be mashed potatoes on the doctor if he did.

"Uh, hi. Nice to meet you." Theodore shrugged a little and settled on waving.

"We were just wondering about the noise in there." Pryce said, an amused smile on his face. "I suppose I can see what it was."

"Yeah, like I said, long story." Theodore blushed. "We're on our way home. I'm sorry for interrupting you."

"Don't think anything of it." Pryce waved his hand nonchalantly. "Simon rarely speaks of his family. Its good to see he's not all work." He glanced at Simon and the chipmunk felt a wave of heat in his face.

"Can we get a ride with you?" Jeannette said suddenly from beside him. "I mean, do you have room?"

Simon looked at his wife in surprise. She had been quiet during dinner, but no more than usual, and all in all he had thought things had gone fairly well. But her voice held a note of desperation in it.

"Sure we do." Belle nodded. "We took two cars."

"Jeannette, we don't mind giving you two a ride, really." Sabrina said with a warm smile.

"That's okay. They live really close to us anyways, and it will save you a trip." Jeanette said quickly. Simon stared at her.

"Jeannette-"

"I'll meet you by the car, okay, Simon?" Jeannette smiled briefly at Sabrina and Dr. Pryce. "Thank you for dinner."

Simon watched in astonishment as she hurried away to the parking lot. His friends waved embarrassed good-byes before following her. "See you in a minute, Simon." Theodore said before wheeling himself around, oblivious to the mess he was making of the pavement with his dripping chair.

"I'm sorry." Simon said, turning to the Pryces and putting his hands up in the air. "I really don't know what got into them." He didn't know whether he meant the food-encrusted chipmunks or Jeannette. "I had a very good time, though. Thank you."

"Thank you for coming." Dr. Pryce said. "It was good to meet your family. They seem like very interesting people.

Simon winced. "Interesting" did not necessarily mean good. "Thank you."

"I hope we can do this again." Sabrina said, taking his hand warmly. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"You, too." Simon said sincerely.

"I'll let you get to your friends then, Simon." Pryce shook his hand briefly. "I'll see you in a few days…you'll be back after your brother's wedding, right?"

"Yes."

"Have a good mini-vacation, then."

"I'll try." He hadn't had a day off since his honeymoon, so Simon knew he very much needed some time off…but six days seemed a bit excessive. Alvin had insisted, however. The bachelor party alone spanned two days, and then the wedding itself was being held in a northern Californian resort called _Heaven's Gate_. That was to last three days…rehearsals the first day, nuptials the next, and finally the third day was a brunch and informal goodbye party before Alvin and Brittany went to Europe on their honeymoon.

Simon hurried over to where he could see Gavin still struggling with folding up Theodore's wheelchair. "Where's Jeannette?" He asked, realizing that none of the girls were there.

"She went with Eleanor and Belle." Gavin said, his attention slipping and dropping one end of the wheelchair on his foot. "Ouch!"

Simon grabbed the dropped end and helped Gavin get the messy chair into his trunk. "She did?"

"Yeah." Gavin slammed the trunk shut. "Thanks for the help. Anyways, she said to tell you that she was going to spend the night at Miss Miller's to see her sisters before Brittany's gone for a month. She'll be home tomorrow morning."

Simon stopped in shock. Jeannette hadn't even waited to speak to him? That wasn't like her. "Oh…ok."

"Gavin, can we get going? Everything's starting to dry and _I'm_ starting to itch." Theodore called from the front seat.

"Sure, Theodore." Gavin went to the front of the car. "Hop in, Simon."

Simon was distracted during the ride to his house, barely noticing that Theodore's mood seem to be improved – still not his old self, but the desperate edge to his anger seemed to be gone. He waved to them as he unlocked the door to his empty house, walking the stairs to his room slowly. He didn't think he could sleep without Jeannette there, but he had forgotten how long he had been up and despite his beliefs, fell into a deep, dreamless sleep almost immediately.

Jeannette still wasn't home the next morning, and no one answered when he called over to Miss Miller's. Maybe the girls had gone shopping – Brittany would of course have some last minute detail to take care of. After puttering around the house for an hour or so, Simon decided he wasn't going to sit and wait forever – he was going to be gone for six days, and Jeannette and he didn't have to catch the plane for the resort until six p.m. There was too much to do. So he scribbled a brief note and stuck it under a magnet on the refrigerator before leaving the house.

Jeannette and him would just meet up later.

He could spend a little time at the research center before they had to leave.

**End of Part 11**

**Reviews, as always, desired, appreciated, and I will try to reciprocate by reading/reviewing your fics!**


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